Mega Man Zero: New Destiny
by Sentinel07
Summary: How much can one change affect the destinies of others? Operation Righteous Strike turns out differently for Zero and Ciel, as they end up in situations none of them could have predicted. Will Ciel embrace her new life? Can Zero protect those he is sworn to protect? Follow them on this adventurous new quest where both will be pushed to their limits.
1. The Mission that Changed Everything

**Hello there folks! I'm Sentinel07, coming to you live with my first foray into the Mega Man series!**

**For those of you that are here after reading my first fic, Kid Icarus: The Great War, then I'm happy to see you again. For those of you who haven't, it's a pleasure to meet you all. Now, for some details.**

_Words in italics show a character's thoughts_

_**Words in italics and bold indicated a transmitted voice**_

**Well, I guess I shouldn't beat around the bush too much. This story starts during Mega Man Zero 2, during the Resistance's attack on Neo Arcadia. However, a certain something happens, one that may change history's course. So, how about we get this party started?!**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing of the Mega Man series. That belongs to Capcom (for better or for worse).**

**Now then, let's begin!**

**(BEGIN)**

**Chapter 1: The Mission that Changed Everything**

Times were turbulent in the year 22XX. The discrimination against Reploids, robots designed to be human-like, lead to one war after another. Eventually, some Reploids banded together, forming the Resistance; an organized movement for peace in the world. For the longest time, things were bleak for the Resistance. The forces of Neo Arcadia, a city designed to be a utopia for humans, hunted down the Resistance, labeling them "Mavericks" and condemning them to death.

But one day, a miracle occurred. Ciel, a human girl who lead the Resistance, stumbled upon the lost laboratory that held the worlds' last legendary hero.

His name was Zero.

Backed into a corner, with a help of a friendly Cyber-Elf, Zero was revived after a century of stasis, reawakening to the world at long last. With the help of Ciel, the Resistance, and the memory of his old friend, Mega Man X, Zero toppled Neo Arcadia's tyrannical rule, and brought down Copy X, a replica of the original hero gone rogue.

Following this, Zero wandered alone, looking to rediscover his purpose; his desire for peace that was shared with his life-long friend. Eventually, war broke out again, and Zero rejoined the Resistance, who were once again being persecuted. Overjoyed by this return, Ciel welcomed Zero back, and the Resistance once again became able to fight back. As Zero fought once again, Ciel continued her research for an alternate energy source; one that could potentially save the Reploids from their persecution.

But eventually, the new Resistance leader, Elpizo, staged an operation against Neo Arcadia. Dubbed "Operation Righteous Strike", the Resistance was ordered to attack Neo Arcadia. Alas, the attack disastrously fell short, and the Resistance was now under direct attack.

In one version of this story, Zero and Ciel successfully saved the Resistance from this large-scale attack and went on to accomplish more great things, leading to a new future for Humans and Reploids. This is a new tale. One that depicts another way history may have taken. How does this tale end you ask? Let's find out together, shall we?

_**Accessing archive data. Dated June 15 ,22XX. Time of recording: 14:23:11.**_

_**Begin Transmission.**_

**(LINE BREAK)**

"_**Zero, have you arrived?!"**_

With the failed direct attempt on Neo Arcadia, it was discovered that a ship carrying a "special bomb" was flying towards the Resistance base. Naturally, then news of this broke out, Zero immediately volunteered to destroy the bomb. However, Ciel convinced him to let her join, claiming that he would need more than brute force to destroy the bomb. Relenting to her demands somewhat, Zero allowed her to, but only by way of a portable Trans Server and once the majority of enemies were destroyed.

"I just landed on the top of the ship. I'm about to make my way inside. Stand by."

Zero did a quick check-through of his weapons; the Z Buster, Z Sabre, Chain Rod, and the Shield Boomerang were all accounted for. Good thing too, because you could never be too careful when dealing with Pantheons and other such robots.

Steeling himself, Zero fought against the high winds, a result of being thousands of feet in the air, finding a nearby ladder to lower himself in. As he climbed down it, he activated his navigation system, searching for the front of the ship.

"All right, I see the ship's bridge."

"_**How long do you think before you make it?" **_

Zero gave a quick look around. The hallways were really ordinary, and the ship wasn't too big.

"Give me about a minute."

Suddenly, a dozen or so Pantheons started running down the hallway towards him, some also rising from openings in the walls, all of them activating their buster guns. Zero looked around, pulling out his Z-Saber and lighting it.

"Make that a minute and a half."

The Pantheons began firing rapidly as Zero ended the transmission, flipping as high as he could in the air. Using his free left hand, Zero rapidly shot bullets from the Z-Buster, shooting down two Pantheons through their chests. Landing on the ground, Zero rolled left and right, dodging the enemy bullets, although one grazed his shoulder. Undaunted, Zero charged forward, slashing through the Pantheons and tearing them in two. Pantheons were some of the lowest-ranking soldiers anyway, so they were hardly a match for Zero, even with their immense numbers. Of course, Zero didn't have time to waste every single one of them. As much as he wanted to, the Resistance base wasn't going to survive a long and drown-out fight.

Making sure his navigation system was correct, Zero began running down the hallways, casually shooting down any robots that crossed his path. However, as he navigated downwards, climbing down ladder after ladder, he came across more obstacles.

"Electrical gates."

In front of him stood fields of electricity, forming gates that blocked his path. A clever trick, but Zero had seen this stuff before. The generators were very close by, allowing Zero to easily cut the power with a slash of his sword.

"_**The power will only be out for a few seconds! Hurry!"**_

No need to be told twice, Zero jumped between the platforms in the electric field, making it before they began to form again. Once on the other side, Zero found himself another ladder. According to his scanners, this should be the last floor. However, as he got down, more mobile robots that hovered in the air focused their attacks on him. Zero dashed between the walls, performing aerial maneuvers that cut the robots to pieces. The ship's control room was now in sight.

"I'm now on approach."

"_**I counted two minutes, Zero." **_

Zero could sense a little giggle behind that comment, but he declined to comment on it. There would be time for conversation once the bomb was diffused. Zero entered the control room, immediately shutting the door as he saw more Pantheons on the approach. Zero then punched the control panel, making sure it stayed locked. It wouldn't be too hard for him to break out. After that, he turned his attention back to the transmission.

"I'm in the control room. I've secured the area as well. Setting transfer coordinates." Zero affirmed on his transmission.

"_**Transfer coordinates confirmed." **_replied the Resistance operator. In a few seconds, Zero saw a familiar flash of light as Ciel materialized in front of him, quickly taking a few seconds to observe her surroundings.

"Let's see…the bomb device is…..here!"

Ciel ran over to the control room panel, accessing the computer as she worked her magic on the bomb controls.

"Can you release the bomb?" asked Zero. Ciel nodded, although she didn't turn her head.

"I can release it for sure." nodded Ciel. "However, it'll take me some time to get through all the commands. There's quite a lot in here."

Before Zero could confirm that, they both heard banging on the control room door, seeing it begin to dent. Apparently, it wasn't the strongest door.

"Pantheons." spoke Zero as he prepared his sword again. Ciel turned her head back to the bomb controls.

"I'll need some time to release the bomb. Please, cover for me." said Ciel.

"How long?"

"About 90 seconds or so."

That was a considerable amount of time was what Zero thought. However, if it was the only way, he was willing to comply. Just to be sure though, he pocketed his buster and equipped the Shield Boomerang to his left arm. If there were many more Pantheons, he would need its reflecting capabilities. The room was fairly big, probably about 15-20 yards from the door to where Ciel stood. He'd have to use that space wisely.

Just as he thought that, Zero could begin to see Pantheons beginning to come through the door. With that, he began to charge forward, putting himself well between them and Ciel. The Pantheons were beginning to aim even though they were only halfway through. At once, they began firing.

The laser blasts resounded throughout the room as Zero made sure none got through his position. Once he got a good position, Zero thrusted his boomerang, cutting the heads off the robotic beings as they collapsed to the ground. The "dead" bodies began to clog the entryway, making to harder for the remaining robots to make it through.

"All right, that should be….."

"AHHHHH!"

Zero gasped as he heard Ciel cry out, seeing her bracing a bit, still at the controls, a burning spot very close to where her hands were. Zero looked around, eventually seeing a small entry for robots on the ceiling. As much as he wanted to point out the lousy design, he swung the boomerang again, slicing up the robot.

"Are you alright?!" asked Zero. Ciel got back up and nodded, getting back to the controls.

"I'm about halfway done! Just a little more!"

Zero nodded and turned his attention back to the rest of the room. If there was an opening on the ceiling, who knows where others could be. He would have to be vigilant.

**BOOM!**

His attention was once again brought to the front, where the door had just been blasted open, allowing the still-alive Pantheons to burst through the door. Gritting his teeth, Zero charged forward, eager to end them before they could target Ciel. He immediately sliced open two of them in the middle of the room, using the Shield Boomerang as numerous laser blasts were directed at him. Thankfully, the boomerang's reflecting powers shot back at many of the robots, often hitting them in the chest or head for an instant kill.

Ciel continued to run through the bomb control systems, her brain and fingers operating on overdrive right now. For something from Neo Arcadia, it was pretty complex. However, not much was too complex for Ciel.

"Almost done!"

"Got it."

Zero was as emotionless as ever as he kept going back and forth as the Pantheons continued to enter. Thankfully, as he was deemed the greater threat, most of the Pantheons targeted him alone, while he was able to cut down the few that targeted Ciel. He then ended one other as he crushed one Pantheon against the wall and tossed it at another, destroying them both. Seeing another robot on the other side, he literally threw his Z-Saber, impaling the robot in the head.

"Got it!" Ciel cried as she pressed an enter key on the keyboard.

At once, they both heard and watched as they heard the clamps on the bomb begin to weaken, the bomb slipping through as it began to feel, miles away from the Resistance base and into the middle of nowhere. Both of them gripped the sides of the ship as the explosion rocked it a bit, making them both try to keep their balance. Eventually, the explosion subsided, and the two looked down at their work. Ciel smiled and sighed in relief, looking over at Zero on the other side of the room.

"Phew, we did it!" she smiled. Zero even allowed a small smirk.

"That's good. I don't want to imagine what would happen if we delayed much sooner." said Zero. "Alright Ciel, you go ahead first. I'll catch up later."

"You'll follow behind of course, right?" asked Ciel with a slight hint of worry.

"Of course." Zero replied with assurance.

"Alright, just let me…..wait, do you hear something?" Ciel asked.

Zero looked around, not hearing anything at first. Then, he heard a slight stirring, like a machine running on emergency power or something like that. He looked over all of the dead robots, seeing no such power from them.

"Where could…..?"

But then, on the farther side of the room, Zero saw a faint flash of red coming from a Pantheon had only had its right arm still operational. Zero quickly realized who it was aiming for.

"Ciel! Get away!" Zero yelled as he wiped out his buster and began to fire.

"What?"

**SHOOT!**

But it was too late, as the half-dead Pantheon shot a single laser blast, one that Zero was too far away to reflect. Ciel quickly turned in the direction of the shot…only for it to hit her dead in the chest.

"AHHHHHHHH!" Ciel cried as the blast knocked her against the computer panel, almost knocking her unconscious as electrical sparks flied everywhere. Zero's buster laser then blasted the remains of the Pantheon, killing it for good. However, he quickly put that aside as he pocketed his buster and ran towards Ciel.

"Ciel!" he cried out.

He allowed himself to gasp a bit as he observed her, laying against the panel. Her chest was incredibly burned, blood beginning to spill on the ground. Zero wasn't stupid; he could tell that this was beyond simply medical care. The laser blast heavily damaged her internal organs. It was a miracle that she wasn't killed immediately.

"Ze….ro." Ciel spat out as small bits of blood coughed out of her mouth. There was no other way. Zero had to get her back post-haste!"

"Operator! Ciel's been critically injured! Teleport us back! NOW!"

"_**I can't! There's too much interference from the air turbulence. You'll have to escape from the ship and jump back to our own ship before I can transport you!"**_

Zero gritted his teeth. Why did this have to happen at the worst possible time?

"Ze..ro….go..with…out….me…."

As Ciel choked those words out, flashed rushed through Zero's memory. They were very familiar memories, consisting of a brown-haired girl he once failed to protect. One who died at his hands so long ago.

Zero gritted again. Not this time!

Immediately, Zero scooped the nearly lifeless Ciel in his arms. He rapidly ignited the thrusters in his boots, granting him quicker speed as he began to rush back through the ship. He didn't have the firepower nor the time to make a quicker path for him and Ciel.

As the ship began to wobble in mid-air, Zero encountered little resistance as he jumped from wall to wall, constantly listening to Ciel's heartbeat. It was slow….but still steady. Still, Zero knew that he didn't have hours, he had minutes, and maybe not many of those either. Thankfully, he soon jumped up the final ladder, landing back on top of the ship. As he looked out over the Resistance ship still making its way over, Zero took another look at Ciel; still breathing barely, but now unconscious.

"Just a little more." he grunted. However, he soon heard snapping behind him.

"Where do you think you're going, little Reploid?!" cried a blue, stag beetle-like Reploid who jumped onto the ship. "You may have released the bomb, but we can still destroy your base if I have this ship crash into it directly! Ha ha ha ha!"

Looking straight at Kuwagust Anchus, Zero groaned again. He didn't have time for this. Every second he wasted ticked closer to Ciel's eventual death, and he would have none of them. He had already lost too many to allow another. Still, he had no time to fight, especially with carrying Ciel in both arms.

"Here I come!"

Kuwagust charged at Zero, his pincers snapping as he got closer and closer. Zero was caught between a rock and a hard place right now. If he somehow defeated the Reploid, the ship wouldn't crash into the base, but how could he…..

Suddenly, Zero got a flash of inspiration and awaited the beetle to come closer. Just as it did, Zero activated his boot thrusters again, and jumped backwards.

"Running away?!" laughed the beetle.

"Hardly." spoke Zero. The beetle kept charging, and Zero kept jumping further and further back.

"Your accuracy is rather weak. Your leader must be displeased." smirked Zero. Kuwagust immediately got angrier, roaring as he charged towards Zero.

"Die, along with your friend!"

The beetle Reploid charged again, pincers wide open as Zero awaited near the end of the ship. Making a quick transmission, Zero smirked as the beetle approached.

"DIE!"

"Up we go."

Zero jumped up at the last second, sending Kuwagust stumbling at the edge of the ship, trying to keep his balance. However, Zero fell right behind him, delivering a strong kick to his backside that sent the Reploid hurdling through the skies.

"I WON'T FORGET THIS!"

As the beetle fell to his inevitable crash, Zero jumped on to the Resistance ship. He took another look at Ciel, making him grimace a bit. Her face was gravely pale, and her heartbeat was nearly nonexistent. Blood was still dripping from her incredibly burned chest.

"Transfer us! NOW!" Zero cried.

"_**Affirmative! No turbulence detected! Transferring in 3…2…1.."**_

Zero felt himself wisp away along with Ciel, now in a desperate race to save the girl's life.

**(END)**

**Phew, what a first chapter huh? This is where we deviate from the canon story and into our own. Who knows what may happen from here on out. Anyway, I hope you all enjoy this and give me your feedback. Love it! Hate it? Despise it? Anything works!**

**See you all again! Sentinel07, out!**


	2. An Arduous Operation

**Hello everyone! Sentinel07 here with Chapter 2!**

**Hope you all enjoy this one!**

_Words in italics show a character's thoughts_

_**Words in italics and bold indicated a transmitted voice**_

**Disclaimer: I own nothing of the Mega Man series. That belongs to Capcom (for better or for worse).**

**Now then, let's begin!**

**(BEGIN)**

**Chapter 2: An Arduous Operation  
**

A whirlwind of thoughts ran through Zero's head, even as the Reploid hurled through space via the teleporter. Such a thing didn't change even as the lights around him began to fade and he found himself in the operating room of the Resistance base.

"Teleportation successful."

"Where's the Med Team?!" Zero cried out to the two operators.

"They are coming right away. They were tending to some of our soldiers who managed to return."

"Well get them to speed it up!"

Zero was in no mood to be patient right now. Not when the Resistance's true leader, and the person who woke him up after a century, had a step through death's door. Thankfully, right as he thought that, a group of Reploids burst through the door, with two of them in the lead. One of them was Rocinolle, the Reploid maintenance worker, as well as the lone human doctor in the base, Trey. Dressed in typical Resistance clothes and sporting blue hair beneath a hat, he was the lone Human doctor in the Resistance. Anyway, that was beside the point as they had had wheeled out a table for Ciel.

"Place her here! We can't waste time!"

Zero placed Ciel's limp body on the table. Her breathing seemed like it was close to non-existent right now. Immediately, the group rolled the table through the hallways, with Zero trying to keep up. The whole fallout from Operation Righteous Strike and his meeting with the 4 Warriors was almost forgotten at this point. The run to the medical room seemed to take forever as the group ran.

Granted, the medical room wasn't used often. Maintenance on Reploids was done in a separate room, and the medical room was only really used for the times when they needed to treat a random Human or give Ciel a medical exam.

"Zero!" Zero turned to his left and saw Cerveau, the Resistance engineer, running up to him.

"Cerveau."

"Is what I heard true?! Was Ciel killed?!"

You could tell that the Reploid engineer was extremely worried. Cerveau in particular was quite fond of Ciel, as well as little Alouette, who Zero couldn't find right now.

"She's still alive, but barely." replied Zero. Cerveau breathed a viable sigh of relief as she and Zero continued to run.

"Just as much, that is fortunate. All I heard was that I was being called to help but some others seemed to believe that she was killed."

"Guess I'll have to stomp out that rumor." said Zero.

With that said, the two continued down the path to the medical room, where they could see the medical team just getting Ciel inside.

"Hook her up to the life support immediately! We have to make sure she gets enough oxygen and keeps her heart going until we can figure out what's wrong!"

Zero and Cerveau ran through the doors after that, watching the team run back and forth between the many machines, one putting a resuscitator around Ciel's mouth for instance. Many others were propping wires to her chest, trying to get a better look at the damage to her insides.

"How does it look doctor?!" asked Cerveau. Trey continued to look back and forth between scans of Ciel on the computer as well as looking around her physically. Perhaps it was either the fact that he was a Reploid or his lack of experience with women, but Zero didn't seem to have a problem seeing a half-naked Ciel.

The expression on Trey's face was unreadable, like a mix between worry and relief.

"Well, from what I can gather, she wasn't hit directly in the heart. If she was, she would have been dead immediately. Her heart is still functioning, but only barely."

"How do you mean?" asked Zero.

"It's kind of like an overfilled water balloon. It'll hold on for a little bit on time before it eventually blows up. In this case, Ciel's heart is heavily damaged but still pumping blood. Same thing with her lungs. They're burned beyond healing, but we can get air in for perhaps a few minutes at best."

Trey continued looking through x-rays taken and scans on the computer. Zero didn't like how his face seemed to get more nervous with each look.

"What is it?" he asked as calmly as he could.

"It's not just her heart and lungs. Actually, it's almost everything; her stomach, kidneys, everything. This….this is beyond normal medical procedures."

Zero felt what air he had in his body just deflate. Was that all? There wasn't anything that could be done? That wasn't acceptable. X would never give up like that, so you know that Zero wouldn't allow it either.

Trey took a look at both Rocinolle and Cerveau, as if contemplating something. He sighed to himself, but in his mind, there was no other way.

"It could be tricky, but I have one idea. Rocinolle, Cerveau, come over here. Zero, can I ask you to wait outside while we work. From here on, I only need those who can assist in the procedure."

As much as Zero didn't want to, he nodded and reluctantly walked outside, finding a nearby chair outside the door. Sighing and holding his head, he thought about what had happened. Numerous Resistance soldiers died in the Operation, he couldn't see Elpizo anywhere, and now the one many viewed as the true leader of the Resistance was on her deathbed.

Soon after, he saw numerous members of the med team run out the room, heading in the direction of Cerveau and Rocinolle's rooms. Zero wondered what they were doing, as no one said anything to him. Eventually, within a minute, most were running back in, with numerous parts in their arms. Now Zero was really curious as what they were planning.

"All right, we're going to start cutting here! Don't get squeamish now!"

Zero really didn't want to imagine all the things he heard from in there. From all the weird sounds he heard, he was just glad that Ciel was completely unconscious. Honestly, he wanted to go in and look for himself though. In fact, after about half an hour, he was just about to go in himself until Cerveau walked out.

"Oh, you're still here Zero?" asked Cerveau, a small hint of a smile on his face as if he was hoping to keep good spirits up.

"Of course I am. What's going on? And what are you doing out here?" asked Zero. Cerveau sighed as he lifted his visor up from his eyes, rubbing them a bit.

"First of all, Trey doesn't mean any disrespect. He just didn't want you to see Ciel in this particular condition."

"Get to the point." Zero wasn't in the mood to beat around the bush, making Cerveau sigh again.

"As you heard, her internal organs are damaged beyond healing. No amount of medicine would ever help with her injuries."

"So what's he planning?" asked Zero.

"Surely you saw the parts the team was bringing into the room?" asked Cerveau.

"Yes I….." Zero paused for a second as the gears in his head began turning. "Wait, you mean that...?"

"Precisely. We're fashioning together parts similar to those used in Reploids, much like yours in fact. It's Trey's hope that these implements work in place of her Human organs." explained Cerveau.

"Is he positive that it will work? I've never heard of such a procedure." said Zero.

"It's not a conventional one for sure. We're just going off of what we hope will work. Not only that, there's more to work with than just her internal organs."

"How do you mean?"

"Well, the system we're using is one similar to yours. As you might imagine, the plan is to use an E-crystal to power her inner workings. After all, essentially every internal organ won't work for long, so essentially her entire torso region will be robotic in nature."

Just hearing that sounded surreal to Zero. A Reploid heart? An E-crystal? It almost sounded like she wouldn't even be Human anymore. Part of Zero began to wonder if Ciel would approve if she could talk. That being said, Zero wouldn't allow her to say no. Her survival was extremely important to everyone, and him.

"And the part you mentioned about it being more than her internal organs?" asked Zero.

"As we all know, an E-crystal is pretty powerful. We use it to power our whole bodies. However, if Ciel only used it to power her Reploid torso, the energy output might be too much for her to handle. To handle this, I proposed an idea; to place cybernetic implants throughout her body." explained Cerveau.

"You what?!" Zero exclaimed. "Are you saying you're going to make her completely a Reploid?!"

"No of course not! I would never suggest that." said Cerveau. "My idea was that, by using implants along her arms, legs, and head that would distribute the E-crystal's energy safely throughout her body."

"I see. Has this been tried before?" asked Zero.

"Highly unlikely. There's where I'm going after all. I'm heading to my room to get to work on them. I'm uncertain of the final results, but if it saves Ciel's life, I'd think that it would be a worthy pursuit."

Zero held his head. He could only wonder what X would think if he was here. Even X would probably be a little woozy after hearing what he just said. That being said, Zero didn't take part in engineering much, so he had no idea how to create such parts. He wouldn't be of much use.

Cerveau put a hand on Zero's shoulder and gave him a small fatherly-like smile.

"Why don't you go inside right now? You've always supported her since you arrived. I don't see why that should change." said Cerveau as he finally run down the hallway towards his own chambers.

Zero watched as he walked away, barely noticing a small tug on his jacket. He looked down, seeing a familiar little girl with blonde hair looking at him.

"Will Sis be alright?" she asked fearfully. Zero didn't know what to say. He didn't have much experience with children. However, he had to say something to the little Reploid girl.

"Ciel will live. You can count on that." spoke Zero as he turned towards the medical room, beginning to enter it. He made sure that Alouette didn't follow him though. He didn't want the child to see Ciel in her worst moment.

Anyway, Zero slowly opened the door, looking into the room. It didn't seem quite as frantic as it was over half an hour ago. Many seemed to be calming themselves down after the hard labor. Trey looked at Zero and nodded as he walked in. Closing the door, Zero walked over to the operating table, his eyes widening as he looked.

If he didn't know better, he would have sworn that Ciel was dead. If it wasn't for him being a Reploid as well, he probably would have also fainted from looking at her. Her chest was open so to speak, showing the parts that the team was implementing. Her Human heart was gone, with a Reploid piece similar to his in its place. He noticed that there was no E-crystal in it right now, probably due to her not having the required pieces in her yet.

Her lungs were also gone, replaced with a Reploids respiratory system. Some other team members were currently implementing other such devices in places like her stomach and kidneys. Trey just looked at the scans and monitors checking Ciel's systems.

"How is she?" asked Zero.

"Well, if she was still fully human, she'd be dead right now. Of course, if you look at one way, you could say that she is dead." said Trey. Zero gave him a perplexed look until he looked over at Ciel a bit more closely. There was still no crystal, and he didn't see much breathing. However, he could see blood still being pumped through her.

"Right now, to compensate for the lack of a crystal, we're keeping her blood flow going and using one implant to keep her brain activities functioning. This should hold for a bit while Cerveau works on the implants." explained Trey.

Zero nodded at him, although he was still quite surprised. Even stuff like this was new to him. He didn't know what to expect of someone essentially becoming half-Reploid in a sense. At the same time though, he was a bit surprised at how technology could keep someone alive like this.

"Quite a messy job." spoke Zero.

"Indeed, but someone has to do it." smiled Trey.

Zero sat down next to Ciel's limp body. Her face, despite slight paleness, still looked peaceful. He slowly brought a hand to it. She felt cold, yet still alive. He wondered what she would think of all this. Ciel's life was centered around Reploids in one way or another. How would she react to actually being half-Reploid inside?

Zero shook his head. This was no time for such things. He was positive that Ciel would accept this. If not, he would help her accept it. This was his fault after all. He should have paid more attention rather than allowing that Pantheon to live long enough to blast Ciel.

After that, the hours just seemed to pass by. Zero kind of lost track anyway. The team had to take breaks in between to keep themselves going. After about 4 or 5 hours had passed, Cerveau walked back through the doors of the room, carrying with him a box of small objects.

"Luckily, figuring out the formula wasn't too hard. I was able to put these together rather quickly." said Cerveau.

Zero looked inside the box. There were many small objects. Some looked bigger than others, perhaps being able to cover larger parts of her muscles or bones. However, many of them weren't that big. As one would also expect, there were a lot of cords.

"All right, let's not delay this. Rocinolle, I trust you to help with this?" asked Trey.

"Of course." nodded Rocinolle.

Zero was allowed to watch this time as they got to work on Ciel's implants. It was kind of hard to watch as the metallic pieces were slipped in in various parts of her body. Not only that, but a number of them had to implemented around her brain, allowing for the central nervous system to work in harmony with the implants. They were inserted everywhere from Ciel's brain to her arms and legs, until they were involved with the majority of her muscles. Stronger ones were placed around her hands and feet as well.

After a while, Trey slumped back into his chair.

"There," He sighed as he looked at some more scans. "I think we've done about all we can. Now, it's time to see if it was all worthwhile. Cerveau, if you please."

"Of course." spoke Cerveau as he walked over to a box, pulling out an E-crystal, similar to Zero's own. Slowly and carefully, Cerveau gently slipped into the core on Ciel's chest, making sure it fit perfectly. Almost instantly, they saw the cybernetic implants come to life, as the energy spread across Ciel's body.

"Rocinolle, how are we holding up?" asked Trey.

"Energy levels at 50%. Slowly climbing at a steady pace. The E-crystals energy is spreading throughout her body evenly, just as you suspected." said Rocinolle, smiling to herself.

Right as she said that, they heard something that sounded like a gasp of air. They looked at Ciel, her mouth slightly open as she began to breathe naturally again. If it wasn't for the possibility of waking her up, they would have started partying right there and then. Still, Zero actually smiled and sighed in relief.

"You actually came through. Thanks." said Zero.

"You deserve as many thanks Zero." smiled Cerveau. "If not for your quick thinking, this operation wouldn't have even had the chance to begin."

Zero actually smiled a bit as he put one hand on Ciel's cheek, it slowly getting warmer. He was just glad that he didn't have a repeat of what happened over a century ago; the last time a girl died because of him.

"Well, now it's just a matter of waiting. She's just resting now. We probably won't know what she'll be like until the morning. It's pretty late." said Rocinolle.

After that, everyone finally allowed themselves some rest, although they did assign guards to the room just in case the worst happened. However, when Elpizo failed to show up at "dinner" so to speak, Zero asked where he was. No one had seen him since he was teleported back.

"What a pain." he groaned.

"What happened to Mr. Epizo?" asked Alouette as she took a seat.

"No ones knows. Quite frankly, I had doubts about his leadership from the beginning." said Zero.

"Oh...I'm sure he was trying his best." said Alouette.

"Maybe."

Zero didn't want to discuss it any longer. He wanted to make sure that Ciel was still recovering peacefully. Alouette decided to join him, worried for her "sister's" health. Knowing that Ciel was at least decent now, Zero allowed it. They took a brief walk to the medical room, where Ciel still slept peacefully. She was at least covered up in a typical hospital gown right now. Trey wanted to allow them the chance in case something wrong happened.

"Zero."

"Yes Alouette?"

"Is sis...like me?" asked Alouette. Zero turned his head a bit at the question. He was never one for deep-thinking questions, and how to handle the gentle feelings of a child was not a strength of his.

"Well, um, I think she'll always be your sis, regardless of what she's made of." said Zero, a bit uncomfortable as he said that. Alouette took one look at Ciel and then smiled at Zero.

"You're right. Thanks Zero."

Following that, there wasn't much else for them to do. The energy pulse from Ciel's new E-crystal core appeared to be stable, so all they could do was wait for her to wake up on her own. Zero hoped for sooner rather than later.

**(END) **

**And there's Chapter 2. Hope you all enjoy it.**

**Now, just something to tell you guys, updates will often be kind of random. I actually haven't figured out much of the story beyond this part, so hopefully you'll all be excited when the next one eventually comes.**

**So enjoy and let me know what you think of it. Sentinel07, out!**


	3. Awakening

**Hello everyone! Sentinel07 here with Chapter 3!**

**Hope you all enjoy this one!**

**Now, for reference:**

_Words in italics show a character's thoughts_

_**Words in italics and bold indicated a transmitted voice**_

**Words in bold represent a computer's voice.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing of the Mega Man series. That belongs to Capcom (for better or for worse).**

**Now then, let's begin!**

**(BEGIN)**

**Chapter 3: Awakening**

The plains between Neo Arcadia and the Resistance base were littered with destruction. Bodies of Reploids laid everywhere, all in various forms of wear and tear. This included both the Resistance forces as well as Neo Arcadia's. The carnage really was something else; perhaps one of the biggest since the wars of old. No one had even bothered to clean up all the wreckage. However, slowly, one creature, while heavily damaged, tried to crawl out of the sands.

"Grrr…..dang it….that….blasted Reploid!"

Kuwagust slowly pulled out of the ground, missing his lower half after it was destroyed upon his impact with the Earth. The bug-like Reploid was angry, for lack of a better word, at his humiliating defeat at the hands of Zero.

"Kuwagust. You don't look well."

Kuwagust froze as he heard the familiar voice, the source of it landing down in front of him. A strong Reploid warrior, wearing green armor, descended down to the ground, with two twin sabers tucked away into his holsters.

"M-Master Harpuia!" stuttered Kuwagust.

"I see you survived the impact. How sturdy." spoke Harpuia with an emotionless tone. He slowly walked over to Kuwagust, staring at him directly. "However, am I to assume that you failed completely?"

"W-Well I…."

"Quit stuttering and answer. What happened aboard the ship?" Harpuia asked as he narrowed his eyes at Kuwagust.

"I-It was Zero! Yeah, Zero! He came aboard with someone!" said Kuwagust.

"Really? And who was this someone?" asked Harpuia.

"I-It looked like a Human. A female with blonde hair." sputtered Kuwagust. That caught Harpuia's attention.

"Ciel was here? Why would she….ah of course. Only she could have disarmed that bomb in such a manner." muttered Harpuia before he turned his eyes towards Kuwagust again. Immediately, he lashed out at the Reploids head, grabbing it fiercely.

"M-Master H-Harpuia!"

"Sounds like you saw some interesting things then. I'd like to see them for myself. Your memory banks will be quite useful." spoke Harpuia, grabbing slightly on Kuwagust's head, causing sparks to fly as the metal separated a bit.

"W-What are you doing?!"

"From what I can tell, not only did you fail to use the bomb, but you couldn't even ram the ship into their base. Neo Arcadia doesn't need a half-baked Reploid."

Gritting his teeth, and ignoring Kuwagust's shouts, Harpuia ripped off his head, leaving behind his lifeless body.

"But your service is greatly appreciated."

And with that, Harpuia flew off back to Neo Arcadia, determined to decipher this little mystery.

**(LINE BREAK)**

"So what's going on?" asked Zero as he entered the operating room.

"We've found a message left behind by Commander Elpizo." spoke Rouge from her computer.

"Really? Have you found out where he is?" asked Zero.

"Commander Elpizo apparently left his station and has gone to the field of his own volition." spoke Cerveau, who was also brought to the operating room.

"For some reason, I'm not surprised." sighed Zero. "Anyway, can you bring up his message?"

"Sure. Listen to this." spoke Rouge as she pressed a few more buttons on her computer, bringing up a recorded message on the big screen. On it was Elpizo, seeming gripped with anger.

"**Ms. Ciel…..Our operation was a huge disaster. My own foolishness lead to this catastrophe. Ha ha…..I'm such a fool, thinking that the might I possessed would be enough to finish Neo Arcadia. I was once an errand boy there, before coming to the Resistance. I was appointed commander, and let everyone down. I was such a fool. This happened because….I don't have the power."**

Suddenly, on the screen, Elpizo rose, his body tensed in anger as he faced the screen.

"**I want to be strong…..I want to be all-powerful….I want to be the most powerful Reploid ever…..I'll destroy Neo Arcadia….and all of the humans! Then….I will be a true HERO! Mark my words!"**

After that, the image broke away, leaving it blank.

"Elpizo…" spoke Zero.

He wasn't sure if he was impressed with Elpizo realizing the mistake he made with the invasion, or to condemn him for his words of being the most powerful. One of the words Elpizo spoke of, being a hero, got to Zero. It was a word that got tossed around too often nowadays. Everyone wanted to be the hero that brought peace. Yet, in Zero's mind, no one had the right mentality for something like that. Only X seemed to have that capability. That was what made him a hero.

"Have you found him yet?" asked Zero.

"We've been attempting to track the history of the Trans Server that Elpizo used. We've found a couple of locations, but we're still searching through them." said Jaune, the blonde-haired operator.

"I see." spoke Zero.

"In addition, he has left command of the Resistance back to Ciel, once she wakes up of course." spoke Rouge.

"How much longer is that off by the way?" asked Zero.

"Trey imagines that she'll wake up any minute now. Her E-crystal is fully charged and her body is…operational to put it one way." spoke Cerveau with a little difficulty. It was bizarre to use the term to describe Ciel.

"We can only hope that it happens soon." spoke Zero. "I…have things to say."

"Like what?" asked Cerveau.

"That I apologize for one thing." said Zero as he gripped his hand. "If I had been more attentive, I wouldn't have allowed that Pantheon to live and harm Ciel the way it did."

Cerveau looked at Zero, seeing slight signs of pain in his face. He wondered if Zero was thinking of something, perhaps an event from the distance past. Zero fought in the Maverick Wars after all. No doubt that even he experienced some kind of emotional trauma. He put a gentle hand on Zero's shoulder, getting his attention.

"Don't blame yourself Zero. Sometimes, things happen in life. No one man, or Reploid, can do everything. I believe that Ciel will be most gracious to you for saving her life. She won't blame you for what happened to her." said Cerveau.

"Of course she won't…..she doesn't hold anything against anyone. She's too good for that." spoke Zero. "Reminds me of someone I used to know."

Cerveau would have asked who Zero was talking about, but he refrained from asking it. Suddenly, they heard fast footsteps, as Alouette raced around the corner.

"Alouette, what's going on? Why are you running?" asked Cerveau. Alouette stopped in front of Zero, her hands on her knees as she caught her breath.

"It's sis! She's about to wake up!"

**(LINE BREAK)**

"Leviathan, connect these cables to Kuwagust." spoke Harpuia.

The blue warrior, Leviathan, did as she was told, connecting a couple of cables inside of the deceased Kuwagust's head. Right now, the trio was inside a room in the center of Neo Arcadia, a personal meeting room for the three warriors.

"The cables are in Harpuia." spoke Leviathan.

"Feh, what are we supposed to learn here anyway?" groaned Fefnir, the remaining warrior. "Bug-face here failed his job. What a weakling."

"Despite that, I'm curious as to what he said. It's not often Zero actually brings help with him. I'm curious to see what happened exactly on the airship." spoke Harpuia.

"That's so typical of you Harpuia." smirked Leviathan as she giggled lightly. Harpuia just turned his head.

"Whatever. Just get it working. I'd rather not waste a lot of time." he said.

"Whatever you say." Leviathan then tossed a remote to Fefnir, who ended up juggling it a bit since he didn't see it coming. "If you'd be so kind to turn it on for us."

"Why me?!" yelled Fefnir.

"Because you haven't done anything since we got in the room. Now turn it on." said Harpuia.

"Grrrr, sometimes I hate you guys." groaned Fefnir before turning his attention to the remote. "Alright, I just press this and….."

He clicked the button. However, instead of visual images, they instead got an image of fairies dancing around a Disney-like landscape. Harpuia raised an eyebrow, while Leviathan looked mortified.

"Wh-What?!" she nearly yelled. Fefnir laughed sheepishly.

"Heh heh..whoops….that's Leviathan's TiVo recording. My bad." he said. "Now, which button was it again?"

"Let me have that! Get that off the screen!" Leviathan yelled as she tried to grab the remote from him.

"Hey, hands off me!" he roared back. The two of them ended up nearly wrestling each other over the remote. Harpuia sighed.

"You two sometimes. Ugh." he groaned as he snatched the remote away from the wrestling warriors. "It's the second button from the right."

Harpuia pressed said button, bringing an image of the airship on the screen. Fefnir grabbed his head in response.

"Umm, I knew that." he said in a tone that made it obvious that he didn't. Leviathan's red face greatly contrasted with her blue armor and hair. Harpuia sighed as he tossed the remote to Leviathan and took a seat.

Putting that odd occurrence behind them, the three guardians watched the video from Kuwagust's view. For a while, nothing interesting happened, other than him having a cup of tea before the fight.

"Why is he drinking that? He's a Reploid!" yelled Fefnir.

"Well, they say tea is good for the body. At least it is for humans." smirked Leviathan. "Maybe you should consider it."

"Shut up you two and watch." said Harpuia, not in the mood for amusement.

Suddenly, they watched Zero come up from the hatch in the room, running towards the edge in an attempt to teleport out. Harpuia's eyes zeroed in on the human in Zero's arms.

"Hey, isn't that that Resistance scientist?" asked Fefnir.

"Dr. Ciel? What was she doing there?" asked Leviathan, as she was as confused as Fefnir.

"Zero doesn't have the technological knowhow to disarm a bomb with destroying it. Ciel must have come for that very reason. However…." Harpuia paused the video and looked at Ciel in Zero's arms. She appeared to be lifeless, with blood seemingly dripping from her chest. Leviathan actually gasped a bit when she saw it.

"Was she killed?" she asked.

"I…I don't know. Whatever wound she got looks severe. I don't see how a human can survive that kind of trauma." spoke Harpuia.

"But…Ciel was human…and humans are our responsibility." spoke Leviathan.

"So what does this mean?" asked Fefnir. "She's the leader of those Resistance soldiers. Does this mean we can label all of them as Mavericks?"

"No, not yet." said Harpuia. "This is, in no way shape or form, proof that Ciel is dead. We cannot engage in such acts until her death is actually confirmed."

"So what do we do? Go confirm it?" asked Leviathan.

"Precisely." spoke Harpuia. The video continued, showing Kuwagust charging at Zero before being simply kicked off the airship.

"How embarrassing. He couldn't even put up a fight." sighed Harpuia.

"I knew he was weak. I should have been in charge. Then you would get results." laughed Fefnir.

"Yeah right. Knowing you, you'd charge off the edge as well." giggled Leviathan.

"Shut up!" retorted Fefnir.

"Alright, that's enough." said Harpuia. "Looks like that's everything we'll get from the memory banks. We'll have to investigate this soon. We will determine the appropriate course of action after we do so."

"Right!" cheered both Leviathan and Fefnir.

"Good. Time to shut this off. Leviathan, if you please?" said Harpuia.

"Right." spoke Leviathan as she pushed a button on the remote. However, she apparently hit the wrong one, as the screen instead switched to some human exercise show. Harpuia looked mortified as it showed up.

"What is this?!" growled Fefnir. However, Leviathan was giggling.

"Oh look at that, it's Harpuia's exercise program." she giggled, even imitating the show by flexing her arms and puffing her chest out. "Look at that. So manly!" she spoke in her best imitation of Harpuia's voice.

"TURN THAT OFF!"

**(LINE BREAK)**

"_Where….am I? Is this…..a dream?" _

Ciel seemed to float aimlessly through an abyss of darkness. She had no idea how long she was there. Days, months, years? It was hard to tell to her. The memories seemed to rush back to her, telling the last events she saw with her own eyes.

"_That's right….I was….shot…Is this…..death?" _

Ciel began to fear at the thought of it. Was she really dead? No, that couldn't happen. How could she face anyone if she was dead? What about Alouette, who looked up to her like an older sister? What about the Resistance, who always thought of her as their true leader? And….what about Zero, the warrior who had saved her and the world many times over?

No, she couldn't allow that. Too many people counted on her for her to kick the bucket right now. As this feeling arose, a bright light seemed to form in front of her. From it, she could hear voices. Alouette? Cerveau? Zero?!

She tried to swim her way towards the light, trying to get as close as she possibly could. The voices seemed to get louder and louder, filling her with hope as she reached out for the light, seemingly engulfing her as it did.

"**Energy charge complete. All systems operational. "**

"_Who is talking? Was that voice inside my head? What's going on?"_

For the first time in a while, Ciel finally felt like herself. Or did she? Her eyes began to slowly flutter open, her eyes blinded a bit by the bright light of the medical room. She felt air flowing into her lungs, although something felt….really off. For one thing, she felt a bit heavier. That was odd, as she was pretty sure that she wasn't gaining weight. In addition to all of that, her head felt like it had been hit with a jackhammer.

"Ciel!"

"Oh Ciel!"

"Sis!"

Ciel heard the loud voices all that once, slowly turning her head to the right. Even with her slightly blinded vision, she could make out Zero, Cerveau, and Alouette, the latter almost looking like she was crying (even though she really wasn't).

"A-Alouette?...Z-Zero?" Ciel spoke, her voice sounding rusty, as if it hadn't been used in a while.

"Oh Sis! I'm so happy you're back!" cried Alouette, nearly trying to jump on to Ciel. Cerveau caught her before she could however.

"Now Alouette, don't do anything rash. She's still tender right now." said Cerveau before looking at Ciel herself, slowly smiling. "It's good to see you back Ciel. We had almost feared that Zero would be too late."

"Zero?" Ciel spoke a bit more coherently now, turning to face the red warrior. "You…You saved me again didn't you?" she smiled.

"Well….it was nothing really." spoke Zero, not really used to being put on the spot like this.

However, as much as Ciel enjoyed this, she had concerns. She turned to look at her arm, slightly gasping when she saw some cables attached to it. She slowly lifted her arm, her eyes widening as she looked closely. Beneath the skin, she could see slight outlines of metal and seeing light blue energy coursing through little cables.

"W-What did you put in my arm?!" she asked. Everyone else sighed. This was going to be the hard part.

"Well, we kind of had to put something there." spoke Cerveau. "If you must know, look at your chest."

Confused, Ciel slowly propped herself up, sitting up a bit while others helped her. She briefly looked down her hospital gown, and looked absolutely mortified as she looked right at her chest. She could see a faint bright blue spot, right where her heart should be.

She placed one hand there, not feeling a typical heartbeat. She placed her hands all over her torso, not feeling anything that was there before. At once, she started to panic.

"Cerveau, what's inside of me?" she asked, almost like a little girl asking her dad. Cerveau looked at Zero, and the red warrior stepped up. As much as he didn't like it, he wanted to break the news to her.

"Ciel…." he started. "Your heart…..is no longer human."

There was an eiry silence, just before a great outburst.

"What?! W-What are you saying?!" Ciel nearly shouted.

"The blast you took destroyed most, if not all, of the vital organs in her chest." Cerveau spoke up. "In order to save you, we took some of our Reploid parts, retrofitting them to fit your organic body."

That explanation, while it made sense to Ciel, didn't calm her down at all. Right at that moment, she began to panic, starting to hyperventilate a bit. Even her new lungs felt stiff, which only served to make her even more wild. At once, she swung her arm, hitting a small glass of water at the side of her bed. The swing sent the glass flying into the wall, alarming everyone in there.

"Ciel! Calm yourself!" cried Cerveau.

"Ciel!" cried Zero.

"Sis!"

Zero and Cerveau grabbed Ciel's arms, which ended up a little harder than the Reploids thought was possible for a human. Ciel kept shaking her head, as if in total denial and disbelief.

"This...this can't be! What am I now?!" she cried out, thrashing around a bit more, actually knocking Cerveau to the ground.

At that point, Zero knew that he had to take charge of this, although he wasn't overall too sure. Still, he grabbed Ciel's now free right arm and hugged her, keeping her arms locked up in the best way he could think of right now.

"W-What is going on?" Ciel spoke slowly, as Zero watched some tears form in her eyes. "Zero….who or what am I?"

After thinking for a second, and looking at Cerveau and Alouette, Zero gave the best answer he could think of.

"You're Ciel, commander of the Resistance, and a dear friend to all of us."

**(END)**

**I hope no one thinks of that episode with the three guardians as OOC. As I'm balancing a Kid Icarus fic with this, I've still got a bit of a comedy gene in me, and it just felt like the best opportunity. Besides, it was fun to think of what the three guardians do in their spare time. The most serious of warriors make for the goofiest opportunities. **

**Also, I ain't got any idea how someone would react to suddenly having a robotic torso essentially, but I think I got a good scene with Ciel.**

**Anyway, I do hope you enjoy it. Let me know of your feedback through reviews. Look forward to more! **

**Sentinel07, out!**


	4. Time Rolls On

**Hello everyone! Sentinel07 here with Chapter 4!**

**Hope you all enjoy this one!**

**Now, for reference:**

_Words in italics show a character's thoughts_

_**Words in italics and bold indicated a transmitted voice**_

**Words in bold represent a computer's voice.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing of the Mega Man series. That belongs to Capcom (for better or for worse).**

**Now then, let's begin!**

**(BEGIN)**

**Chapter 4: Time Rolls On**

"All right, try it more gently this time." commanded Zero.

"Okay." said Ciel.

She looked at the small glass on the table in front of her. She slowly reached out her right hand, trying to approach it gently. You could feel the tension in the air, and you could almost hear a pen drop as it was so quiet. Ciel gently touched the glass, slowly wrapping her fingers around it. Just as carefully, she tried holding it up until….

**CRACK!**

The glass cup burst in Ciel's hand, causing her to jump back a bit as the glass shards fell the ground. Zero sighed and hung his head.

"And there goes another one." he sighed. "How many is that now?"

"3." replied Alouette.

"Sorry." said Ciel, bowing her head slightly.

"No, it's alright. It's just that I should have figured that this wouldn't be easy." said Zero.

"We might have to think of something else." said Cerveau. "We're running out of cups."

For the past half-hour or so, they had been trying to help Ciel get used to her new body. She couldn't walk that well right now but she didn't need to stay in the medical room any longer. With Trey's approval, they were allowed to wheelchair her out.

Unfortunately, things hadn't gone well so far, making Zero think back to what happened right after Ciel's mini-rampage.

_*****Flashback (Half hour before*****_

Zero lightly held Ciel as she began to calm down from her little freak out. Cerveau and Alouette were a little freaked out from the events, partly because of how Ciel seemed to be stronger than she was before. After Zero let her sit up on her bed a bit, she then leaned over, holding her head in discomfort.

"You alright?" asked Zero.

"I-I'm okay." said Ciel, trying to give an assuring smile. "It's just that…..my head feels like it's been hit with a jackhammer."

"That's because it's doing more now than before." said Cerveau, composing himself. "To stabilize the E-crystal inside you, we created implants that flow throughout your limbs. This helps to balance the E-crystals power, just like a Reploid."

After saying this, Cerveau briefly touched Ciel's forehead.

"As you might expect, everything is linked to the brain, which allows full control over the implants. Of course, this will put more strain on your brain until it is able to adapt to its new functions. We had to add some extra support in the brain so it could handle the cybernetic implants." Cerveau explained further as he walked away a bit.

Ciel had a hand to her chin, nodding to herself as she let that information sink in. Apparently, she understood that better than Zero and Alouette, who just had blank looks on their faces.

"So, do these implants have any other effects?" asked Ciel. "If they're directing the E-crystal energy throughout my arms and legs, I would think that it might add to an overall increase in my mobility." she said.

"As always, you are right on top of things." Cerveau chuckled to himself. "As far as I know, this kind of process has never been performed on a human, so technically your guess is as good as ours. However, I do believe that what you say is so."

Ciel nodded and looked at her arms again, looking at the faint lines of energy she could spot running through them, all the way up her arm to her hand. Zero wasn't good with those technological words, so he just assumed that Ciel figured out what was going on.

"Are you okay, sis?"

Alouette walked up to Ciel, her eyes still filled with worry after Ciel's little outburst. Remembering that, Ciel smiled and put her hand on the Reploid girl's head.

"Yes, I'm okay now. I'm sorry for scaring you like that." she apologized. "Even I can have bad moments." she added a little giggled to that.

However, right as she did, she suddenly felt something….bad welling up in her stomach. Or at least, whatever she had that could pass off as a stomach anyway. She instantly put her hands over her mouth, as she felt like throwing up. Noticing the gesture, Zero located a nearby bucket, grabbing it and handing it to Ciel who took it eagerly. Right after that, Ciel hurled into the bucket, an icky yellow-like substance coming out of her mouth.

"Eww." groaned Alouette.

"W-What is this stuff?!" Ciel choked out as she continued to cough into the bucket.

"Oh, that's Testerine. You know, the substance we use to clean Reploid parts to make them as good as new?" said Cerveau. "I apologize for that. The parts we found that we could use for you were pretty dirty, so we gave them a quick wash. We didn't get much time to dry them though. Don't worry; it's not poisonous to our organic parts, although I can't imagine it tasting good."

"You think?!" Ciel groaned as she hurled again in to her bucket.

Following that little episode, and Ciel was soon cleared to leave the medical room, they didn't waste much time to trying to help her adjust. Of course, their first order of business was giving her back her clothes. Ciel was quite happy to don her normal outfit and helmet.

As Ciel has pointed out, the metallic implants and E-crystal energy had a considerable effect on Ciel's body. Along the way back, she had absentmindedly grabbed Zero's hand, an act that made her blush a bit as a matter of fact. Zero had noticed it but didn't tell her to let go. In his mind, she needed the support, although he wasn't quite thinking about what Ciel was thinking about.

Anyway, as they were making their way towards the rec room, a room that offered some relaxation along with eating, Ciel's wheelchair hit a bump on the ground, surprising her a bit and causing her to squeeze harder on Zero's hand.

"Grrrr!" Zero hardly expected the sudden grab, and gritted his teeth as Ciel's hand felt like it was burrowing through his hand. He looked over to her and saw her as shocked as he was. She let go of his way, seeing that hers was a bit bruised. Zero could feel that he had a small dent in his hand from the squeeze.

"You actually dented my hand a bit." said Zero, a bit surprised. Ciel looked from her hand to Zero's, laughing sheepishly.

"Perhaps, but while you just got a little dent, mine got bruised." she said. Despite that little giggle though, Ciel looked at her hand the rest of the way. There wasn't much doubt now that the implants indeed added to her strength. Obviously not to the point where she could damage Zero, but a bit more than a normal Human her age would.

_*****End flashback*****_

So, having made the quick conclusion that the cybernetic implants had dramatically changed Ciel beyond just her torso, Cerveau and Trey quickly recommended her beginning therapy. In addition to getting back on her feet, Ciel would have to get used to using her strength more effectively.

However, to this point, it wasn't working out well at all. Zero's idea was to have her just try to hold up a glass cup without breaking it. So far, she had broken three cups.

"Maybe this wasn't a good idea." said Zero.

"Sorry." apologized Ciel.

"Don't worry about it. It's not your fault." said Zero. "Let's just keep trying. You'll get the hang of it eventually."

He brought another cup over, slowly trying to guide her as best he could. However, the result stayed the same, with one glass shard narrowly avoiding Alouette.

"Darn it!" Ciel banged her head on the table, which thankfully didn't hurt her now. "How do you handle it Zero? It must be the same for you."

"Well, I was born a robot, so I'm naturally used to having to use a certain amount of strength. You just started." explained Zero.

"I guess you're right." Ciel sighed as she just looked forward. "It seems like, besides my research, I'm not much use."

"What are you saying?" asked Zero. "You're the inspirational leader of the Resistance. Everyone on this team would risk their lives for you, and they still do right now."

Ciel took in Zero's words a bit. She wanted to believe that for sure, but she still had to wonder. Could it have just been better for Zero to destroy the airship and not allow her to come aboard? If she hadn't come, she wouldn't be burdening Zero with her troubles like this.

"And if you're thinking about burdening me, then stop." spat Zero, getting Ciel's attention. "You are a valued partner, and I know that your decision to come aboard the airship was the right one, so stop—"

"Zero!" called Cerveau as he entered the room, interrupting Zero. "We have some news for you in the Operating Room."

Zero sighed, but if they needed him, it must be important. "All right I'll come. Alouette, you can watch over her right?"

"Right sir!" said Alouette while saluting at Zero. However, Ciel gave Zero a mean glare.

"Hey, why should she watch over me? It should be the other way around!" defended Ciel.

"Because at this moment, I'm confident that Alouette won't break anything." replied Zero.

Ciel just pouted as Zero walked away, a grinning Alouette standing right next to her.

**(LINE BREAK)**

"RAGH, when do we move out?!" growled Fefnir.

The three guardians were observing the area around Neo Arcadia. Harpuia seemed to be in deep thought as he looked around. Neither Fefnir or Leviathan could tell what he was thinking.

"Harpuia…" started Leviathan. "What's going on? You're even quieter than normal."

Harpuia gave her a brief glance, right before he looked back over the landscape, still littered with the deceased Reploids from the Operation.

"Haven't you the report from the scouts?" asked Harpuia. Leviathan raised an eyebrow.

"You mean about that supposed Resistance leader? What was his name again, Elpizo?" asked Leviathan.

"Exactly. The one who was foolish enough to come up with that ridiculous strike against Neo Arcadia. Apparently, he's left them for one reason or another. My point is that it doesn't matter all that much. We need to investigate this as we attempt to figure out the status of Dr. Ciel." said Harpuia.

"And what will following that foolish leader do for us?" asked Fefnir.

"Well, we obviously need to find the guy in case he intends to strike again. Ain't that right Harpuia?" giggled Leviathan.

"That is the general idea. If he knows about Dr. Ciel, than he's all the more valuable. I'm still waiting for other scouts to gather intel. Once we have enough, we'll spread out and search wherever we can." explained Harpuia.

"Whatever. So what do we do if this Ciel woman is alive?" asked Fefnir.

"If she's still alive, I'm curious to see how she's alive. If the video we gathered was correct, she suffered a grave wound, one that I've seen kill many Humans over time. I need to find out if she's alive, and if she is, then how. Once I have that information, then we'll decide where to go from there." said Harpuia.

"You got it boss." Leviathan gave a mock salute, which annoyed Harpuia a bit but he didn't show it.

"Well whatever. If you find anything, let me know. I'm going to get in some combat practice." groaned Fefnir as he promptly left. He had better things to do than to just stand and look at scenery.

"That man could stand to learn patience. Where's Phantom when you need him?" groaned Harpuia.

"Aw, don't be like that Harpy." smiled Leviathan. "Phantom wasn't much of a social guy anyway. We hardly knew the guy outside of the fact that we know he was made along with us. I'm sure we'll get our answers soon enough."

"How many times do I have to tell you to stop calling me "Harpy"?" growled Harpuia.

"Many times, because it's cute." giggled Leviathan. "So, if Dr. Ciel is dead, what will you do?"

She asked that with a more serious look on her face this time, which made Harpuia give her a serious look back.

"If she's dead…..then the Resistance is as good as dead. That's all there is to it. The fact that Ciel is Human is the reason why I haven't gone to the Resistance and wiped them all out myself. After all, the protection of the Human race….is why we exist, do we not?"

"I guess you're right there." said Leviathan before suddenly smiling again. "Well, no use just standing here waiting for something. Who wants to play some Twister? I want to see Fefnir's face when he loses again!"

Leviathan gently pulled on Harpuia's arm, letting go a bit as she practically skipped merrily into Neo Arcadia castle.

"Women. I'll never understand them." Harpuia sighed as he went inside again.

**(LINE BREAK)**

"We've tracked down the places where Commander Elpizo may have disappeared to." said Rouge.

At her words, a few places appeared on the screen in front of Zero. There were four of them, each of them pretty distinctive.

"Is this all?" asked Zero.

"Yes, we believe that's all." replied Rouge. "I advise you start them tomorrow. I can see that you're recovering from a few injuries yourself from the Operation."

As much as Zero would have liked to refute that statement, he knew she was right. The battles at the airship were no cakewalk. He didn't feel fully up to power right now. Besides, it had gotten pretty late in the day, so there was no use trying to push it.

Following Rouge's analysis, Zero had spoken with Cerveau and Trey. Trey had helped outline a therapy session for Ciel, including trying to simply get her back on her feet. Trying to get used to the new implants essentially meant getting used to her muscles all over again, and Trey was adamant that they don't rush her. Zero agreed with that.

Ciel didn't feel that well about it though when he told her.

"Therapy sounds kind of rough." she said.

"Well, with you being as smart as you are, perhaps it won't be too long." said Zero with a slight smile.

"Are you taking a shot at me?" giggled Ciel.

"I was being honest." said Zero, being entirely truthful. The joke likely went over his head, making Ciel giggle a bit.

"I'm sure you were." said Ciel before she sighed. "Well, I hope I can at least get back to my research. I need to finish the CIEL system after all."

"Of course you do. However, Trey believes that you shouldn't tax your brain too much while in therapy. After all, you and him both know that your brain now has to perform newer functions. You shouldn't rush it, otherwise it may cause you more harm." said Zero.

"I know. I'm aware of that." said Ciel. She accepted it, but she wasn't happy about it. Still, hearing Zero look out for her safety made her feel good inside.

"But thanks for worrying about me. It seems like all you've done since I found you is save my life, as well as the others." smiled Ciel.

"Of course. It is my job." said Zero. However, whatever he said didn't seem to have the desired effect, as Ciel's face fell a little.

"Just a job?" she asked, almost a little sadly.

Zero didn't know why, but he felt his thermal sensors detecting a 5% increase in internal temperature following Ciel's comment. Why did that question seem so important? So much that he almost felt nervous to answer? It wasn't something he had felt since….

No, it was no use thinking back to those times. Not if he wanted to relive that pain over again.

"Well….not just a job. I wouldn't do this if it wasn't a cause worth fighting for. Besides, in this time anyway, there's no one I trust more than you." he explained, which seemed to brighten her face a bit.

"Really? You trust me that much?" she asked as her face turned a little red.

"Of course. Well, besides X of course." Zero actually gave a small smile at that statement.

"That's true." smiled Ciel. "Well, you think you could give me a ride back to my room?"

"Sure." said Zero as he went and did just that. "You know, despite your new Reploid parts, I was surprised to see that your appetite hasn't changed."

At the time where they gathered for dinner (or whatever Reploids even had for dinner), Ciel's appetite didn't seem to be all that changed. Zero did have to be reminded though that, while many of Ciel's organs were destroyed, she still had a normal Human's appetite, as well as the normal need to use the bathroom, since her "bathroom parts" in a manner of speaking were actually still intact.

"Well, a girl's gotta eat. Reploid parts or none, I can't imagine a life without pasta." Ciel smiled, to which Zero just shook his head, smiling a bit as he did.

That aside, after a brief good night with Alouette, Zero wheeled Ciel to her room. He turned so he wouldn't watch her change. Thankfully, she didn't rip any of her pajamas. Zero decided not to bring that up as he helped her climb into bed.

"Zero, did you really mean what you said back in the medical room?" asked Ciel as she laid down and Zero began to walk away.

"Which part?" he asked.

"When you said that I was still Ciel, despite what's inside me now." she clarified.

"Well…I meant what I said. It doesn't matter what you're made of. Your character is what counts, and that hasn't changed. You're still the same kind-hearted Ciel everyone loves." explained Zero.

To his slight surprise, Ciel giggled a bit at that statement.

"That sounds like something X would probably say." she laughed.

"Hey, I come up with good lines…..sometimes." groaned Zero as he opened the door and began to leave.

"Zero." called Ciel again, causing Zero to turn back. "Thank you…for saving me."

Zero allowed another brief smile as he turned away.

"It's no problem, Commander."

**(END)**

**So yeah, things are starting to get going. Everyone is biding time until the battles start once again. Will the three guardians really get their answers? When they do, how will they react? And how will Zero even begin to handle all of this? The answers perhaps in the next chapter!**

**Review as always, and I hope to see you all again soon!**

**Sentinel07, out!**


	5. Many Mysteries

**Hello everyone! Sentinel07 here with Chapter 5!**

**Hope you all enjoy this one!**

**Now, for reference:**

_Words in italics show a character's thoughts_

_**Words in italics and bold indicated a transmitted voice**_

**Words in bold represent a computer's voice.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing of the Mega Man series. That belongs to Capcom (for better or for worse).**

**Now then, let's begin!**

**(BEGIN)**

**Chapter 5: Many Mysteries**

The next morning came quickly, a little too quickly in Zero's mind. He knew that by now, he was fully healed and ready to go. Still, even as the annoying voice in his head told him that it was time to wake up, he wished he could turn it off like those alarm clocks the Humans had.

"Oh well."

Seeing no way out of it though given the need to find Commander Elpizo, Zero grabbed his helmet, securing it on to his head. He never wore it while he was asleep, as it wasn't exactly comfortable on his bed. Anyhow, he made sure that each of his weapons were securely fastened to his person and was on his way, meeting Cerveau along the path.

"Good morning Zero. You ready to go?" he asked.

"As much as I ever will be." replied Zero. "At this point, it's pretty obvious that Elpizo has no intentions of returning of his own will. Guess I'll just have to drag him back."

"That sounds like you." Cerveau lightly chuckled to himself before bringing out a cup containing a beverage for Reploids. "Here, you should at least go with something in the tank, so to speak.

"Fair enough." Zero smirked a bit as he took the cup, drinking it down in one gulp.

**(AN: Hey, they gotta have SOMETHING! Everyone's got to eat or drink some time, even a robot.)**

Eventually after Cerveau had to get back to his room, Zero walked down to the operating room, going through the automatic door along the way. Inside were the usual operators, Rouge and Jaune, and Zero was a little surprised to see Ciel there, still in the wheelchair. To his slight surprise though, she wasn't wearing her usual outfit and bodysuit. Instead, it was almost similar to something he had seen some Humans wear when they were, what was the word, "exercising"?

"Good morning Zero." Ciel said with a smile, as if everything was right in the world.

"Morning….did you sleep well?" asked Zero. Ciel gave him one of her "thinking" looks, as if trying to answer a complex question.

"Well, it was nice, until the computer voice in my head told me what time it was. Do you have to go through that every morning?" she asked. To her surprise, Zero actually chuckled a bit.

"Every morning." he responded.

"Hmm, maybe I can think of a way to turn it off. I'll have to think about that." spoke Ciel.

"Well right now, you need to focus on getting better. We all need to keep pitching in, thanks to the failed operation." spoke Zero.

"I agree." Ciel sighed in response to his statement. "Trey's going to begin helping me with that right after I leave this room. He said that it probably won't be long until I'll out of this wheelchair. In fact, I can actually walk a bit, but it's just that this is faster for now."

"I see." nodded Zero before turning to the operators. "So what do we have first?"

"We've tracked down four locations from the trans server's memory." replied Jaune. "From what we've gathered, each location seems to have some relevance to Neo Arcadia."

"What could Elpizo be thinking?" asked Zero.

"We don't know." said Ciel. "It can't be good either way. I watched the message that he left us, and I'm very concerned for his mental state. He's always been rash, but this is new even for him."

"Personally, I think it was a mistake to make him commander." spoke Zero.

"Zero!" cried Ciel.

"I know you don't like hearing that, but I can't say I believe otherwise. At least, from the moment I got here, something seemed very off about him, like he had no confidence to do his position." spoke Zero.

He knew that Ciel appointed Elpizo herself, so hearing Zero seriously question that wasn't something Ciel really liked hearing. Still, it was one of Zero's better traits; he didn't beat around the bush, and you could be assured that his words reflected what he was thinking about.

"Anyway, back to finding the commander," started Rouge. "Of the four places, this one stood out to me. Here, take a look."

Typing on the keyboard, Rouge brought the details to the main monitor for Zero and Ciel to see. The images appeared to be some kind of factory, or something of the sort. It looked kind of run-down, but Pantheons and other such machines could be seen around it.

"It looks like a redundant factory. Apparently, Neo Arcadia has reconstructed it to work again." spoke Ciel. "Still, why would Elpizo go there? It doesn't make a lot of sense. There are too many enemies there for him to be alone."

"Perhaps not from here." said Zero. "But I'm sure that I'll find out once I get there."

Ciel nodded as she moved a few spaces away from the trans server station on the ground.

"I understand. I wish you luck Zero." Ciel said with her hands together. Zero just gave her a nod.

"Don't worry. I'll figure out what he's up to." said Zero as he stepped on to the trans server station.

"Destination: Shuttle Factory. Set coordinates to 53245129." spoke Rouge.

"Coordinates confirmed. Begin transfer sequence in 5….4….3….2….1.." spoke Jaune. The trans server came to life under Zero, surrounding his body as the familiar warping sequence began.

"Transfer start!"

And with that, Zero's body lit up as he was warped away from the base, leaving Ciel behind to watch him go for now.

"Come back safely Zero." Ciel silently prayed. However, she was interrupted when she heard the door slide open, revealing Trey.

"Commander Ciel, are you ready?" he asked with a smile, as if he was looking forward to his. Ciel just sighed.

"Sure." she groaned a bit.

**(LINE BREAK)**

"Harpy, my feet hurt!" whined Leviathan. She and Harpuia had been walking around Neo Arcadia, doing some usual security rounds. Needless to say, Harpuia was plenty annoyed at this point.

"First of all, stop whining about that. You're a Reploid for crying out loud. Secondly, stop calling me Harpy!" growled Harpuia.

"But why do we get stuck with security rounds while Fefnir gets to go have fun?" pouted Leviathan.

"Because that area suits his talents best. He may be a brickhead, but's he's not stupid. There's no need for us to go crazy right now. What we need is patience. Our scouts claimed to have spotted Elpizo there, so we'll see if that bears any fruit." said Harpuia.

"Grrrr, I hope the next place we investigate has a pool so I can do something fun." Leviathan muttered to herself.

Meanwhile, the two guardians watched over the casual lives of Neo Arcadia. If it wasn't for the obvious problems in leadership over the years, you'd think that it was indeed the haven many dreamed off. Humans went back and forth in their daily lives, living as if there was nothing to worry about. There had been some chaos in the past, what with the passing of Lord X, or at least the person they believed to be Lord X. Still, Harpuia had an even-handed rule in his place, and he made it his sworn duty to be the ruler for the Humans to look up to.

"Excuse me….Mr. Harpy." came a small voice.

Harpuia turned down, seeing no one behind him. However, as he looked down, he saw a little boy and girl both perhaps around 7 or 8 years old. He kneeled down to look at them at even level, even showing a rare but small smile.

"Hello, what do you need?" he asked.

"Is it true what the adults are saying? Did Mavericks really try to kill us?" cried the little girl.

Harpuia's eyes widened a bit at the girl's language. He was no fool after all. Behind the casually happy faces, many humans were afraid, thanks to the Resistance's Operation Righteous Strike. Many were convinced that the Resistance really was full of Mavericks that were out to kill them all. He reached out and lightly touched both kids on their heads, giving them a gentle smile.

"You don't need to worry about such things. If anything threatens Neo Arcadia, it is my duty to protect it. No Mavericks will get to you. That, I can say for certain." said Harpuia. Both of the children smiled and gave Harpuia a brief hug, something he wasn't quite familiar with. Still, Leviathan giggled a bit behind him.

"Thanks, Mr. Harpy!" cheered both kids.

"Um, right. Now get back to your parents. I'm sure they're looking for you." said Harpuia. Both kids waved good bye and ran away, presumably back to their parents as he instructed. Harpuia sighed, as he honestly wasn't that familiar with talking directly to Humans, especially kids. However, something about what they said suddenly rang in his head.

"Wait a second! Did those kids call me "Harpy"?! Who told them that?!" he almost yelled.

"I did." giggled Leviathan, raising her hand like a schoolgirl. Harpuia gritted his teeth at her.

"You insufferable….." Harpuia spat down while muttering incoherent words. Was it Leviathan's goal in life to make him miserable? He was starting to wonder about that.

"Well, that aside," started Leviathan, a little more serious this time. "You looked pretty good talking to those kids. Still, do you think that's how all of the Humans think?"

"I'm not sure." said Harpuia. "However, I know for sure that many people don't trust the Resistance one bit, a lot of it because of what just happened. As the leader of Neo Arcadia, it's my job to assure them of their safety."

"To that end, should we really annihilate the Resistance? Even you weren't so keen on going after them a while ago." stated Leviathan.

"That is true. I agreed to not actively pursue them, as long as they left Neo Arcadia alone. However, they broke such a thing with Elpizo's attack. And whether he's still with them or not, we can't let it pass." said Harpuia.

"But Dr. Ciel's condition has often held you back, with her being human and all. Not to mention that she recreated Lord X for us." said Leviathan.

"That is true as well. The preservation of humanity is our front most duty after all. I'd rather not kill Dr. Ciel." said Harpuia as he closed his eyes in thought. "That's why I must find out about her condition. She is essentially the center of that organization."

"And if she is dead?" asked Leviathan. Harpuia gave her a stern look before looking over the horizon, looking at the outside desert surrounding Neo Arcadia.

"If such a thing comes to pass, then we will fulfill our duty."

**(LINE BREAK)**

Zero finally appeared at his destination. Looking around, he could see the factory around him, looking very much as old as what Ciel described to him. Still, it was indeed operational, and that instantly spelled trouble as far as Zero was concerned.

"Alright, let's get this started."

Zero jumped into the nearby porthole, allowing him to descend down into the factory. He watched as conveyer belts seemed to carry numerous pots around, filled to the brim with molten materials. Still, Zero didn't have much time to observe before Arcadian machines were locked on to him.

Several orbiting Mechaniloids shot at him from the air, aiming for many spots around him. However, they were small and not very durable, allowing Zero to shoot down most of them after rolling to the side. Still, they were just the first wave as he began to make his way further inside.

"Phew, those molten pots are making this place pretty hot." spoke Zero. With that, he put a hand to his helmet, getting a small batch of data in his eyes.

"What are my thermal levels?" he asked.

"**Thermal temperature at regular levels. No oppressive atmosphere detected." **spoke the computer voice insider him as he shut the data off.

"Good enough for me."

Zero maneuvered his way through the molten containers, making his way past the small-time Mechaniloids. However, he soon came face to face with Pantheon Hammers, clad in heavy metal armor with wrecking balls for weapons.

Still, that didn't faze him as Zero blocked the wrecking ball shot, dashing past it and splitting the Pantheon down the middle. The path ahead was filled with more of those Pantheon Hammers, not making it easy for Zero. One attack slammed him in the side, causing him to grimace and jump back as two Hammers converged on him. The break wasn't too bad, so he was able to dodge their attacks from then on and cut them into pieces.

Up ahead, he eventually had to make his way up what seemed to be some old elevator shaft, except without the elevator. It made it ideal for wall-jumping, but the Pantheons dangling from the edges made it more of a chore than Zero cared for.

"You'd that if they really have this many, then they could find better things for them to do." groaned Zero as he unleashed a charge shot from his Z-Buster, blasting down another Pantheon who fell down the shaft in pieces.

Zero climbed his way through the shaft, finally reaching the top. However, right as he was, he was immediately blasted in the face with an icy shot from a Pantheon Shooter, causing him to fall back down a bit. He brushed the ice remnants from his face and glared.

"Another new type. Just my luck."

**(LINE BREAK)**

"Ouch! That hurt!"

Ciel and Trey had begun whatever he could think of for a therapy session. Since Ciel essentially had to relearn how to use her muscles, he focused on basic stretches that one would use coming out of surgery. He especially wanted to focus on her legs, as it was in both of their interests to get her walking again. With that in mind, Ciel was laying on her back as Trey held her leg up, getting it to a point where they could stretch it out a bit. According to Trey, it was supposed to feel tight, but not painful, something that Ciel was having trouble grasping.

"If it hurts, then tell me sooner. It's not supposed to be painful. We'll work on this or a while and see how you can do on your feet." said Trey.

"Fine." sighed Ciel.

So, for a while, they kept at it, doing one stretch after another. Ciel was hardly used to this though, and it proved to be pretty strenuous to her.

"Ugh, I haven't felt this bad since I once tried yoga as a kid." she groaned.

"Oh really? How did that go?" asked Trey.

"It was awful. I felt like I couldn't move for days." she groaned again.

"You're obviously not used to doing a whole lot physically. I guess it makes sense when you're at a computer for half of the day or so." smiled Trey.

"Hey, it's for a good cause!" defended Ciel.

"Of course." smiled Trey.

After about an hour, they took a good break, letting Ciel get a much needed water break.

"You know, not to sound too intrusive, but you might really want to consider more daily exercise. Everyone appreciates all you do for them, but you need to take care of yourself too." said Trey. Ciel looked at him before taking another swig of water.

"I guess you're right, but I'd like to finish my Ciel System first." she said. Trey shrugged his shoulders. No one would budge her on that.

Anyway, soon after, they got back to work. Ciel wanted to get back on her feet as soon as possible.

**(LINE BREAK)**

Zero slashed his way through more Pantheons, stopping briefly to catch his breath. He had lost track of how long he was in this infernal factory. For a place that wasn't often used anymore, it felt big enough to be its own city.

"Been a while since I got in here. How long have I been in here?" he asked himself as he brought up his HUD.

"A little over 3 hours? For crying out loud." he groaned. However, he suddenly heard an impact from the upcoming room, followed by a battle cry that he remembered well.

"So he's here." said Zero, making sure his Z-Saber was still good to go. He ran through the door, entering some kind of large room with humongous pieces of machinery. A fiery burst impacted one of them, its origin coming from a certain red Reploid, who turned upon hearing the door open. He grinned at he looked at the visitor.

"Well well, if it isn't Zero! You remember me, don't you?!" growled Fefnir.

"Of course, Fighting Fefnir if I recall." said Zero emotionlessly.

"That's right! There's no way you could forget one of the strongest warriors you ever faced. Ha ha ha ha!" grinned Fefnir. "I was sent here to find this Elpizo guy. Turns out that he isn't here anymore, but that's okay. Now I can play with you instead!"

He fully charged his arm cannon, unleashing a ball of flame at Zero. Zero jumped into the air to dodge. Fefnir's lack of patience was as obvious as ever. Words weren't going to do much here, so all he could do was fight.

Zero turned his Z-Saber on and rushed in for an attack. Fefnir blocked the first attack, grabbing Zero's right hand with his free left one. He charged up his arm cannon, delivering a fierce fiery shot to Zero's left side.

"Augh!" groaned Zero as he jumped back a bit.

"Come on, Zero! FIGHT!" cried Fefnir as he shot numerous fireballs into the air, all beginning to rain down on Zero's position.

Zero dodged most of them, although one fireball glazed his left arm. He whipped out the Z-Buster and began shooting at Fefnir, causing him to block. One stray shot blast through parts of Fefnir's armor.

"Yes! That's more like it!" laughed Fefnir as he charged up with energy, causing a second arm cannon to form in his left arm. Zero flinched a bit at the move.

"So now he was another one." he said.

"Hell Fire!"

Fefnir shot both arm cannons into the ground, causing pillars of fire to appear around Zero. He had to dash left and right to avoid most of the fire. Zero dashed through the remaining fires as Fefnir's attack soon ran out of juice, allowing Zero to slash a direct shot to Fefnirs chest.

Growling from the injury, Fefnir tried bashing Zero with the arm cannon, delivering a punch from his free hand. Zero raised his arms to block both, getting a kick in on Fefnir. The two ended up mostly in some kind of wrestling match, with Fefnir's brute strength beginning to overwhelm Zero.

"**Energy levels at 50%. Must take immediate action."**

"Oh shut up. Like I don't know that." growled Zero as he ducked away from Fefnir, slashing the guardian's back.

Fefnir turned and blasted a fiery shot, hitting Zero directly in the chest. Unfazed though, Zero charged at him, causing him to block again. However, Zero forced his way through, trying to break through Fefnir's arm cannon. Before it broke, Fefnir broke away, trying to catch his breath.

"Arrrrrgh!" he growled as he charged at Zero, firing more fire shots. Zero brought the Shield Boomerang out and blocked them, sending it flying through the air as it ripped through one of Fefnir's horns. Zero used the opportunity to dash up to Fefnir, delivering a final slash through the Reploid's chest. Heavily injured, Fefnir fell to one knee, his energy levels low. Still, he just laughed at Zero.

"Good….That's very good….Well done, Zero." laughed Fefnir. "That was a lot of fun. Let's do this again sometime. I've seen all I need to see from this factory anyway. See you soon!"

Fefnir laughed as he warped back to Neo Arcadia, leaving Zero behind.

"I almost can't believe that Harpuia and Leviathan have to put up with that guy." he muttered as he looked around. Elpizo was nowhere to be seen.

Still, they had acquired some interesting information, so it was a mission accomplished. With that said, the operators teleported Zero out of the factory.

**(LINE BREAK)**

"Transporting back in 5….4…3….2….1…Now!"

Zero reappeared back on the warp pad, now safe and sound.

"Transfer successful." said Rouge as she sighed in relief, actually retracting her visor for once.

"Are you alright, Zero?" asked Jaune.

"I'm fine, thanks." said Zero, working out a few kinks in his body after that battle. "Where's Ciel?"

"She finished her session for the day a while ago. I believe she's in her room, most likely working on her research again." said Rouge.

"She can't take a break can't she?" groaned Zero.

"Guess not. Trey doesn't want her to overwork herself, especially with her research. He said that he's not sure what effects overtaxing her brain could have this early in her therapy." said Jaune.

"Thanks for the update." said Zero. "You know where to find me if you need anything."

With that, Zero left the operating room, making a mental note to check in with Cerveau about his injured side, just to make sure it was fine. If there was one thing Zero knew well, never leave a questionable injury unnoticed. That aside, Zero walked down the hallway to Ciel's room, making brief exchanges with other Resistance members who congratulated him on yet another job well done. He approached the door and pressed the button to open it, seeing that it was unlocked.

Indeed, he found Ciel in her usual chair, right in front of her work station. However, she didn't look right. Her movements were pretty slow, and she wasn't typing much. She was breathing hard too, and groaned a bit as well.

"Ciel?" Zero spoke up, making her jump a bit as she turned around, greeting him with a smile.

"Zero! You made it back! I'm so glad!" she cheered, stopping a bit though as she put a hand to her head. "Did you find Commander Elpizo?"

"No, but he was there for some reason. I guess you didn't hear the update?" asked Zero.

"Sorry, I've been in here for a while, so I haven't heard much." sighed Ciel.

"Well, he appears to have borrowed some kind of transport from the factory. Perhaps he's trying to get to Neo Arcadia on his own. That's our idea anyway." said Zero.

"I see." nodded Ciel.

Zero walked over to her, standing by her side. He looked at her computer screen, seeing that there wasn't much typed. He looked straight at her, and she didn't move much. She had put her helmet visor back on after talking to Zero, but it didn't seem to be helping.

"Ciel, are you alright? You're looking very sluggish." said Zero. Ciel sighed again as she pushed a button on her helmet and retracted the visor. Looking at her closely, Zero noticed that her eyes looked a bit unfocused. Suddenly, she wobbled a bit and nearly fell out of her seat, except Zero caught her quickly, letting her down gently.

"I'm going to take that as a no?" Zero asked rhetorically. Ciel looked at him with an apologetic look.

"I'm sorry, Zero." she started. "I….I wanted to keep working on my research, but….I haven't finished much since I started today."

"Are you overtaxing yourself again? How is your head?" asked Zero, putting a hand to her forehead. Ciel almost immediately blushed at the close contact.

"I'm not sick but," Ciel sighed yet again. "My head is almost killing me. I can't focus. Whenever I try to work on my research, I can't get all my thoughts together. Everything in my head feels jumbled, kind of like a bedroom that has stuff thrown all around it. My visor generally helps with keeping my thoughts in order, but it's only making it worse."

"Then you need to rest. Your research won't do much good if you die beforehand." explained Zero.

"I guess you're right." Ciel sheepishly smiled as she tried to stand up. Zero stabilized her a bit, but was happy to see that she could actually stand pretty well now. He did keep a hand on her just in case though.

"Too bad you don't have a chip in your head like me. " Zero said as he pointed to his head. "I'm sure you're aware, but some Reploids like myself have a chip that allows us to see data clearly. It really helps keep things in order."

Suddenly, Ciel's eyes lit up, like she just got a brilliant idea.

"Wait a second, that's a great idea!" she cheered, apparently feeling a bit better now.

"What is?" asked Zero, genuinely confused.

"Because of all the new signals to my brain, everything is all scrambled in there. Who knows if it'll rearrange itself naturally. You all said that implants were put into my head to try and give my brain support. If we could retrofit a chip like yours to work for me, like the parts you used to make my E-crystal reactor, then perhaps it could lessen the strain on my brain and help it get organized."

"You do know that such a thing would require you going under the knife again, right?" asked Zero with a raised eyebrow.

"If it helps my constant headaches," started Ciel as she held her head, another headache coming through. "Then I'll take it."

Zero was a bit surprised. He had never seen a Human so eager to go back in to surgery so soon after the last one.

Then again, even from the start, he knew that Ciel was no ordinary Human. Not by a long shot, a thought that made him smile a bit.

"Well, let's pitch the idea to Cerveau. I'll sure he'll come up with something."

"Alright." smiled Ciel.

However, right after she said that, they both heard rumbling from her stomach, causing her turn red again.

"Heh heh….I guess I did kind of skip lunch." she giggled nervously.

Zero just shook his head. Guess they would be making a stop before Cerveau.

**(END)**

**Well, that was fun. I liked the chance to show Harpuia actually not being an ass like I portrayed him in previous chapters. I read a little more on his personality and backstory and I'd like to make my portrayal as close as possible to his real personality.**

**This was quite the long one too. Phew, I feel tired already.**

**Hope you all enjoyed my portrayals of the characters and I hope to see you soon. Review as always. **

**Sentinel07, over and out!**


	6. The Reckoning

**Hello everyone! Sentinel07 here with Chapter 6!**

**Hope you all enjoy this one! There weren't many reviews for the last chapter. Perhaps this chapter will catch your attention better. Fingers crossed!**

**Now, for reference:**

_Words in italics show a character's thoughts_

_**Words in italics and bold indicated a transmitted voice**_

**Words in bold represent a computer's voice.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing of the Mega Man series. That belongs to Capcom (for better or for worse).**

**Now then, let's begin!**

**(BEGIN)**

**Chapter 6: The Reckoning**

Over the next couple of days, Zero did odd missions in an attempt to find Elpizo. Sadly, most of the time, the trail ended up cold with him already long gone. That being said, indications heavily implied that he was going to sneak into Neo Arcadia somehow. Quite honestly, Zero couldn't figure out what he was looking for. Was Elpizo just looking to get into the city, or was there something darker looming beneath the surface?

In addition to all of that, he had been handling Ciel as well. Ciel was able to work with Cerveau, creating the very chip she was hoping for. Needless to say, Trey wasn't quite happy about it, but if it helped Ciel out, who was he to stop her.

Alouette was equally worried. The little Reploid girl hardly wanted to see her big sister taking risks like further messing with her body like this. However, Zero assured her that Ciel knew what she was doing. At least, he hoped that she did. Still, Ciel went through with the whole thing the other day, and she was still whacking her head a bit that morning.

"You know, the more you do that, the more I'm becoming convinced that something is wrong." he deadpanned at her.

"Oh it's alright." Ciel smiled at him. "Just a couple of kinks here and there, so it's not too bad."

"For someone who nearly threw me out of the medical room when she found out, you're awfully calm about this." spoke Zero.

That comment caught Ciel a bit off guard, as she kind of fumbled for an answer, her face turning a little red.

"Well….I guess I just figured that I might as well make the best of it. I mean, too many people here depend on me for me to worry about my problems. You and the others are the ones who risk your lives out there on the field." said Ciel.

Zero shook at his head at her response though.

"Most of the soldiers feel inspired because of you. If you're not feeling well, then the other soldiers can sense it. What I'm saying is that you do need to take care of yourself. I've seen what happens when a leader taxes themselves too much." spoke Zero as he took a sip of his Reploid coffee.

"Thank you Zero." smiled Ciel. "I'll try that. On the bright side, I do think it's working. My head doesn't hurt as much anymore, and I seem to be able to move much better. Trey still insists on the therapy though. He said that maybe another week and I should be good."

"That's good. If I understood correctly, your muscles should be adapting. You haven't broken anything yet." noticed Zero.

"Heh, that's true." Ciel giggled a bit. "To be honest though, if this chip works as well as I hope it does, it'll help me complete the Ciel System even faster now."

"How so?" asked Zero.

"The chip helps me see keep all my thoughts in order, kind of like amplifying my memory in an odd way of speaking. This way, I shouldn't have a problem remembering something, and with all the data in front of me, I think I can finally get it done." Ciel said with some excitement.

Ciel truly seemed to be getting back to her more optimistic tone, something that Zero liked seeing. He didn't like seeing her sad, although he never told anyone that.

"So, what will you do once the Ciel System is complete?" asked Zero, taking another swig of coffee. Ciel gave him a thoughtful look.

"I don't know. Maybe I'll finally get my vacation time. I hear the beaches are nice at this time of year." she lightly giggled to herself. However, she noticed a blank look on Zero's face, as if he had no idea what she was talking about.

"I don't think I'm familiar with "vacations" or "beaches"." Zero replied bluntly.

"Well, guess I'll have to show you sometime." Ciel smiled at him.

**(LINE BREAK)**

"Lady Leviathan, quit squirming!" implored one Reploid mechanic.

"Ow!" Leviathan cried out.

Leviathan was currently in Neo Arcadia Castle's medical room, being tended too after her recent battle. In Zero's last mission, not long after he fought Fefnir, he was sent to a mostly underwater computer room. For obvious reasons, Leviathan was sent there to investigate about Elpizo's whereabouts. However, she wasn't the only one there.

_*****__Flashback (The other day)__ *****_

Leviathan was swimming around the submerged computer area, searching for any signs of the rogue Resistance Commander. However, as her search went on, the distant sounds she heard made it obvious that she was going to have company, and only person would dare come out here. The very thought a little smile to her as she clutched her spear.

Eventually, Zero blasted open the door leading to the submerged room.

"Another submerged room. Good thing I don't need air." Zero said to himself.

However, almost immediately, Zero felt an ice shot aim right for him, causing him to roll to the right as the ice shot blasted the ground around him.

"Awww, you dodged it! Tee hee!" Leviathan giggled as she swam down to just above Zero.

"Leviathan…" Zero spoke.

"You remembered me?! I'm so flattered!" Leviathan giggled with a rather fake fan girl voice. Zero just sighed.

"Can we cut to the chase, Leviathan? I've got more important things to deal with." Zero spat out, his Z-Saber charging in his hands.

Almost immediately, Leviathan's eyes hardened, a more sinister grin adorning her face.

"As you say."

Zero flinched a tiny bit as Leviathan's voice did a complete 180, as she instantly swam up to him, causing him to block her spear with his sword. Leviathan smirked at Zero as she twisted her spear, knocking the Z-Saber to the side and getting a direct shot of the spear to Zero's head.

"Augh!" Zero jumped back, clutching his face from the hit. He hadn't sustained too much damage, but he couldn't take too many of those. Leviathan was far more deadly than her appearance indicated.

"What's wrong, little boy? Too tired to play?" Leviathan grinned at the red warrior. She twirled her spear in front of her, creating ice shards that began to rain down on Zero.

Zero looked up in time to dodge the ice shards, bringing out his Z-Buster and firing through the water. Leviathan worked best at long-range when it came to fighting in the water. If he was to win, he'd either have to shot her down, or get close somehow.

"This is why I hate the water." Zero groaned as he dashed forward, blasting shots from his buster gun.

Leviathan swam gracefully through the water, dodging the majority of shots before firing another round of ice shards. The shards impacted the ground as Zero had to jump left and right to avoid them. He couldn't dodge forever. He had to get on the offensive to defeat Leviathan.

Suddenly, Zero felt a strong arm wrap around his neck, hoisting him into the air. He struggled to look back and see Leviathan holding him up.

"Come to mama, little boy." she grinned at him.

Zero gritted his teeth and shrugged the ice user off of him, descending to the ground as he fired buster shots at her. Leviathan blocked a few with her spear, although some impacted her body, reeling her back a bit. Zero noticed that and continued to fire, not giving Leviathan a chance to react as shots blasted her body.

"She's stunned. I might have an opening." imagined Zero as he dashed as much as he could on the ground, getting as much momentum as he could as he brought his sword out. He jumped quickly into the air, dashing towards Leviathan. She tried to block the attack, but Zero's sword slipped by her spear, slicing through her left hand.

"Ahhhhhhhhhhhh!" she cried as she fell down to the ground, trying to clutch her ruined left arm.

Zero knew that this was his chance to end it. He landed back on the ground and put all he had into his thrusters, dashing forward before Leviathan had a chance to react, dealing a decisive slash down her chest.

As Leviathan cried out in pain, she fell back down, her "blood" starting to ooze from her destroyed parts. However, to Zero's surprise, she actually laughed lightly.

"Ha ha ha ha….well done Zero…..I really got caught up in that…so much that I lost any trace of Elpizo….Harpy's going to kill me big time for that." she laughed.

Zero just watched the female Reploid, not sure how to handle it as she grinned at him.

"I'll…..I'll do better next time…..count on it…." she muttered as she teleported out of the submerged room.

_*****__End flashback__*****_

As a result of the battle, Leviathan suffered many injuries to her body, including having to repair the slash wound in her chest as well as her dysfunctional arm. Needless to say, she was flipping mad right now, and made sure everyone knew about it.

"For crying out loud, if you're going to lose, at least lose with honor!" growled Fefnir, who was for the most part recovered from his own bout with Zero.

"Oh be quiet. You lost as easily as I did." spat Leviathan as she actually calmed down enough for repairs to continue on her left hand.

"Maybe, but you don't see me throwing a tantrum. I accept defeat with honor." boasted Fefnir.

"Tch, well I guess if your "pride" is intact, then nothing seems too bad." Leviathan grinned at him. Fefnir growled at her.

"Watch your mouth, girl! I will challenge Zero again soon, and when I do, I will be the one victorious!" Fefnir declared, his arm cannon even glowing a bit.

"Oh, so you're going to get your butt kicked by him for the fourth time?" Leviathan giggled at him.

Meanwhile, Harpuia was shaking his head as he watched the video surveillance on the medical room, sighing all the while.

"Sometimes, I swear that I'm surrounded by idiots." he groaned as he clutched his shoulder.

Following the computer base incident, the Crystal Cave became the next battleground. Harpuia sent himself there as Zero was traveling through, after realizing that Elpizo had pilfered a Neo Arcadian IFF beacon. As confused as Harpuia was towards that situation, he knew that he had a chance to at least kill Zero in the end. The two of them engaged in great combat as well, although Zero once again emerged victorious in the battle, causing Harpuia to retreat.

Harpuia's damage wasn't as severe, only a minor malfunction on his left shoulder. Still, his pride was a bit wounded, and he looked forward to redeeming that with his next opportunity.

**(LINE BREAK)**

Soon after a food break, Ciel was back in her room, continuing her work on the Ciel System. As she had hoped, the chip was really helping her brain function, and she was honestly able to think more clearly than she ever had before. She was honestly beginning to wonder if this whole event was a blessing in disguise. While she didn't have a human heart anymore, the capability she had to help the Resistance's cause seemed higher than ever.

Of course, when Zero immediately entered her mind, she wasn't so sure.

She could tell that Zero looked down when someone mentioned her condition. She could even see his hands clutching each other at times. It was times like that that made Ciel wonder. Was it guilt that he couldn't protect her on the ship? The last thing Ciel wanted was for Zero to blame himself for her condition. The red warrior already had enough on his plate without her.

Still, such thoughts often caused Ciel to clutch her chest a bit. Even though there was no heart there, she still felt as if something was beating rapidly, and her face flushed with such thoughts.

This brought her back to a previous conversation the other day, following Zero's recent mission in the Crystal Cave, which followed after the Computer base.

_*****__Flashback to the other day__*****_

"So, Elpizo has obtained a transport, the security code from the computer base, and an IFF beacon." Ciel went over the report she obtained.

"That's what it appears to be. I guess it's obvious that he's trying to bust into Neo Arcadia." said Zero. "But why the high-security stuff?"

Ciel gave it some thought. It was the middle of the night right now, and most had retired to bed. Still, Zero wanted to figure out Elpizo's ultimate objective before he continued. After all, they were down to the last known use of the Trans server.

Ciel constantly yawned as she went over the reports. She was all ready for bed before Zero wanted this last-minute discussion. He apologized, but he wanted this figured out before the next mission that morning.

However, though she looked tired, Zero could sense an obvious distress on Ciel's face, which became more evident as she read everything.

"What is it, Ciel? Do you know something?" Zero asked.

"It's just that….when you mentioned the high security…I thought of something, and it's not good." said Ciel.

"And what could that be?" asked Zero.

"Zero, do you know where X is?" asked Ciel. Zero's eyes widened a bit at the mention of his old friend.

"Well….wasn't he sealed somewhere? And that's why he's a cyber-elf?" Zero said.

"Yes, he was sealed away. He did so to prevent a great power from destroying us. We call it the Dark Elf." said Ciel, catching Zero's eyes.

"The Dark Elf? I heard rumors, but I never got to confirm any." spoke Zero.

"It's very real. If she is Elpizo's ultimate objective, then we're in trouble." spoke Ciel, fear becoming more evident in her face. However, Zero soon put a hand on her shoulder.

"Don't worry. This Dark Elf won't be hurting anyone, least of all, you. I vow on that." spoke Zero with the most serious voice Ciel had ever heard him speak.

_****__End Flashback__*****_

"Oh Zero." she sighed to herself as she continued to work. Maybe she could keep her mind off of it.

_Meanwhile, in the Forest of Notus_

Zero felt the familiar feeling of teleportation leave him as he emerged from the ground.

"So this is where Elpizo was reportedly seen?" asked Zero.

"_**Correct, and fairly recently too." **_reported Rouge.

"Understood. Commencing mission now."

The Forest of Notus, where Zero had been sent to, involved ancient ruins that the Resistance was researching at one point. For some reason, Zero couldn't shake the feeling that something bad was going to happen here. Still, that was what he was here for after all.

With nary a word, Zero raced into the forest, using his navigation systems to locate the upcoming ruins. Still, with such little Human activity around these parts, Reploids were all over the place, from spiked ones to Reploids who resembled little bugs.

Still, Zero slashed and shot his way past them, jumping through the trees as he could feel the ruins getting ever closer. The Reploids were small fries, so they were hardly even worth mentioning.

However, right before the ruins, he was met with a surprise.

"Elpizo!"

There stood the former Resistance Commander, still sporting his same look from before. However, Zero could hardly recognize him from the aura he gave up. There was malice, and a huge desire for power, almost maddening in the wake of it. On top of it all, two cyber-elves were floating around him.

"Well well, if it isn't Zero. You did such fine word during the Operation." Elpizo clapped slowly and sneered at him.

"Elpizo, enough of this cat-and-mouse game! You should return to the base. You can't do anything on your own." implored Zero. Elpizo just looked at him, chuckling softly.

"Really? You really believe that I have no power on my own? Ah, but that is where you are wrong. Thanks to these baby elves, I have something grand in store." chuckled Elpizo, gesturing to the light purple elves floating around him.

"Are you referring to the Dark Elf?" asked Zero. Elpizo sneered again.

"You've done your homework, as one would expect from the great Zero. Yes, the Dark Elf is the one where I obtain greater power. I've searched all around these parts, looking for any bit of information I could obtain. Now, that very power is within my grasp!" Elpizo laughed at his words, irritating Zero a bit.

"Elpizo, you've gone mad!"

"Oh, not mad. Perhaps a little angry, and maybe a wee bit impatient to get the show started." Elpizo chuckled again before pointing his arm at Zero.

"By the way, how is the status of Ms. Ciel? I heard of her tragic injury." Elpizo smirked. Zero began to wonder if he knew about Ciel's condition. Then again, if he didn't know, perhaps Zero telling him could give him second thoughts.

"Ciel is just fine. She has recovered from her injuries and is running the Resistance again." spoke Zero.

"Ah, of course, but is she truly "recovered"?" smirked Elpizo.

"What do you mean?" asked Zero.

"I mean, is she really the same person who left the base to join you on that airship?" Elpizo spoke to him, a darker grin forming on his face, one that was starting to worry Zero.

"She is the same person she's always been. The only difference was that extensive measures were taken to ensure her survival." said Zero.

Then, out of the blue, Elpizo gave a great laugh, one that would the Joker would be proud of.

"What's so funny?!" spat Zero.

"Everything is funny! Ha ha ha ha ha!" Elpizo continued to laugh before calming down a bit.

"Of course she's alright, except for one convenient fact….that you ended up making her a Reploid!" Elpizo manically grinned at Zero, making him flinch at his words.

"What?!...No, that isn't true. She may be a bit different, but she's still the same Ciel." said Zero.

"Oh Zero, poor Zero. It doesn't matter right now, does it? For all intents and purposes, Ms. Ciel was killed by those Neo Arcadians aboard that aircraft. The Human she was before is no more. Heh heh heh heh!"

And with that, Elpizo dashed away, likely on his way towards the key in the ruins.

"Wait! Blast it!"

Zero saw Elpizo dash over a deep canyon that separated most of the forest from the ruins, causing him to use his chain whip to dash across the gorge, gripping onto the other side wall.

"What does that madman think he's doing?" groaned Zero as he climbed the wall. Elpizo had brought into question Ciel's own humanity. In Zero's eyes, that was unforgivable.

As he got up, he saw the ruins in front of him. Dashing forward, he entered with no hesitation, as he had to catch up to Elpizo by any means necessary, and that meant quickly disposing of the ruin's Pantheons and other such Reploids.

"Out of my way!" roared Zero as he slashed straight through a pack of Pantheons. He was in no mood to deal with these small fries. He was a warrior on a mission.

He was so focused on the mission that he just blasted through the doors without a seconds hesitation, including running through a door that housed another Neo Arcadian warrior, one shaped like a frog for that matter. However, Zero couldn't care less about it as he blasted open another door, leading to a small room that housed a glowing eye symbol, with Elpizo standing right in front of it.

"Heh heh heh heh, at least I've broken the seal on the Dark Elf. With this power, I will become even greater than you, Zero." grinned Elpizo as he turned around to face Zero, who was flipping mad at him.

"Elpizo, before I stop you here, you will take back your words towards Ciel." Zero said as he aimed his Z-Saber threateningly at Elpizo.

"What? You mean the whole fact that she's essentially a Reploid at heart now? Well, that's technically true, correct?" grinned Elpizo.

"Stop repeating yourself." spat Zero.

"Oh, don't worry. There won't be much need for words once this is done. However…." spoke Elpizo as he offered his hand out. "I do thank you for your news Zero. I heard the rumors, but it's nice to have complete confirmation. It's made things totally clear for me."

"Like what?" asked Zero.

"That Neo Arcadia is the true villains here. I won't use this power for evil, but for world peace, and for Ms. Ciel too. Are you telling me that you feel no anger?" asked Elpizo, causing Zero to flinch at the question.

"What?!"

"Are you telling me that you don't resent them at all?" smirked Elpizo. "They nearly killed her on that airship. It's Neo Arcadia's fault for this, and you don't blame them?"

Zero's face softened as that question hit him. Did he truly not resent Neo Arcadia for nearly killing Ciel? No, that was not the case. Not for Zero.

"That….was a result of my lack of vigilance. I allowed it to happen, so it's my responsibility." spoke Zero.

"That's admirable, truly it is." smiled Elpizo. "Don't worry. Soon our troubles will be over. I will obtain the Dark Elf's power, and I will annihilate Neo Arcadia! This I swear!"

As Elpizo declared that, he and his baby elves vanished, leaving just Zero and the activated seal.

"Rouge….beam me back." spoke Zero, as if he felt defeated.

"…_**.Understood Zero."**_ spoke Rouge as he felt himself being teleported out. As he did, a long cyber-elf hung around the room. A very familiar one.

"Zero…" spoke X as he left the room. However, one other presence heard everything that transpired within that room.

"Ribbid. What news. I need to report this to Master Harpuia. Ribbid." spoke Burble Hekelot as he too teleported out of the ruins.

**(LINE BREAK)**

"Transporting back in 3…..2….1!"

Zero landed back on the warp pad back in Resistance base. Despite being successful in locating Elpizo and discovering his motives, Zero didn't feel like it was a mission accomplished.

"Zero, do you require assistance?" asked Rouge from her seat.

"…..No….I'll just be in my room." spoke Zero, as he left the room without another word. He passed by Alouette along the way, who asked him to play with her.

"Mr. Zero! Did your mission go okay? Can you play with me for a bit, please?" she asked hopefully. Zero looked down at her and put his hand lightly on her head.

"Maybe later." he spoke as he walked away, leaving the little Reploid girl confused.

Zero entered his room, sealing the door behind him as he took his helmet off and rested on his bed, with Elpizo's words rapidly surging through his mind. He thought that he really knew what he thought, and now he wasn't so sure.

**(LINE BREAK)**

"I see." spoke Harpuia as he and the others finished hearing the recorded conversation from Burble's databanks.

"Unbelievable. Could it really be true?" asked Leviathan.

"Impossible! How could such a thing work for a human?" asked Fefnir.

"Well, with Dr. Ciel, sometimes the impossible is possible." spoke Harpuia as he got up from his seat. Leviathan and Fefnir watched as he walked over to a window, showing him the rousing citizens in Neo Arcadia as he sun began to set.

"What do we do now?" asked Leviathan. Harpuia looked over the skyline once again.

"For now, we wait. We have our answers, but we have another threat that must be dealt with. Once the rogue, Elpizo, is brought down, we will deliver our justice upon the Resistance."

**(END)**

**Phew, what a big one. Sorry if you don't like me essentially not detailing Zero vs. Harpuia, but I didn't feel up to it.**

**Sometimes I wonder why I put up with 4000 word chapters. My neck feels stiff every time.**

**Oh well. PLEASE review and let me know what you think.**

**Sentinel07, over and out!**


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